Something New
by huntley
Summary: Sookie is a recently separated, single mother living post The Great Revelation. She's determined to start living her life to the fullest despite the skeletons in her closet. Can a certain hot powerful vampire help her figure out what she's been missing?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So this is only my second story… so please be kind. I woke up one Sunday morning and had this idea for a story that I just couldn't get out of my head. Having said that, we'll see how this goes! Comments are always appreciated!

Many, many thanks to the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who was so patient with my mess of a story while she worked her beta magic. Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility… blame it on my southern education (lol just kidding- I love being a southern girl).

Unfortunately, I don't own the characters in the story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she lets me borrow Eric for my lemony thoughts.

***** *****

Where the fuck did I go wrong? I had done everything according to _the_ _rules._ I'd gone to college, graduated early- I might add, and I'd become a successful business woman at my family's company, Stackhouse Enterprises. I married a man that I thought loved me, gave him a handsome son, and where has it gotten me? Packing my shit because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants, that's where!

I'd replayed the scene a thousand times in my head:

I decided to come home a day early from a business conference in Atlanta to surprise Quinn. I knew Lars, our 15 month old son, -named as the ultimate tribute to his father's favorite band Metallica- would still be at my parents house where he stayed anytime I went out of town on business. Quinn's schedule was always crazy so it was just easier to have Lars stay at my parents' than worry about Quinn having to find an emergency babysitter. Like if he needed to quickly leave to handle any number of issues the president of the largest event planning firm in the southeast could have arise. I smiled to myself when I drove up to our home outside of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Our house was actually my Gran's house before she passed away and left it to me. Honestly, I'd been ready to sell it because it needed a lot of work and I'd gotten used to living with conveniences only found in the city, but Quinn had talked me out of selling because he thought it would be the perfect place to raise a family. At the time, I remembered feeling all warm and fuzzy when he talked about kids because I could definitely see a whole brood of them running around the yard. Just as I had once done with my brother Jason.

I parked behind the house and entered from the back entrance so I could sneak up on Quinn, who I was sure was watching TV in the living room located at the front of the house. As I walked through the kitchen I quickly took off my suit jacket and started unzipping my pants, when I heard groaning. I stopped stripping and grabbed the chef's knife from the butcher block. I knew Quinn had run with a dangerous crowd when he was younger and all I could think was that some old foe had tracked him down for revenge. I continued my advance tip toeing down the hall until I could peek into the bedroom where the noises were obviously coming from. There, in _our_ bed, was Quinn with his _assistant_, Debbie Pelt, riding the fuck out of him. My body went cold and for a split second, ok longer than a split second, I started walking towards the bed and thought about going Lorena Bobbitt on his ass. The fucker actually had the gall to still be wearing his wedding band as his large hands gripped her hips rocking back and forth! I got about four feet away from the foot of the bed when they stopped. Quinn jerked his head up to see me with my arms crossed, knife still in hand. He pushed her off of his groin and she fell onto the mattress with a grunt.

"What are you doing home early?" He asked, still out of breath as he climbed out of bed and stood in front of me.

I eyed his 6'6" frame up and down as my hip involuntarily cocked out to the side to further prove my_ I'm Pissed the Fuck Off_ stance. "Jesus! You aren't even wearing a condom!" Not that, at that point, it made a whole lot of difference but I still noticed his dick hanging out in the open - sans latex barrier. I turned on my heel and strode out of the bedroom before I started swinging the knife. I went back into the kitchen and threw the knife in the sink, where it clanged like an ominous church bell. My mind flashed with the image of Debbie riding my husband and I knew I had to get out of there. I grabbed my pocket book and headed for the door I'd just come in not five minutes prior.

I didn't start crying until I was half way to Shreveport. I managed to get to a Comfort Inn right off the highway and check into a room before the night really started to sink in. My hands trembled as I slid the credit card type key into the lock. The second I was through the door I suddenly became aware of the ring now constricting my left ring finger. I slid my right thumb and index finger around my wedding band and yanked it off. I stopped myself before I threw it across the room and settled for tossing it in my pocketbook as I flopped down on the king size bed. I was too furious to sleep so I sat up that night and crafted my plan to get Lars and myself away from Quinn and out of Bon Temps.

I called my parents at first light and told them I was going to need to use the corporate condo for a while because Quinn and I were separating. Mom could tell from my tone that now was not the time to discuss this and offered to keep Lars a few more days while I figured things out. I knew as soon as we got off the phone that she would tell Daddy and Jason, so at least I wouldn't have to explain anything to them today. I left the hotel and drove to my office to pick up the key to the condo. Daddy, Jason, and I each had a key, but I always left mine in my office because I saw no reason, until now, to carry it around with me. I rode the elevator up the fifteenth floor and quickly scurried into my office hoping no one noticed my arrival. I grabbed the key out of my desk and sprinted back to the elevator. Next stop was the store, for several bottles of liquor.

For two days straight I stayed in a drunken stupor, replaying our entire relationship over and over in my head, trying to figure out where we'd gone wrong.

We met right after I'd moved back to Shreveport from living in New Orleans while I attended Tulane. I had always been a bit of a loner in school because I was "Crazy Sookie". I wasn't really crazy, but I understood how the kids would think that. Because how else do you explain a classmate that answers questions no one asked out loud? I had been in elementary school when I realized I could hear people's thoughts. I struggled with my_ talent_, as mom would call it, throughout high school, but when I started college the fog, so to speak, seemed to lift and I was able to accept and control my ability. It didn't take long for me to realize I had a lot of power with my gift. I was a great student and graduated manga cum laude, only missing summa cum laude because my ability didn't work so well in the occasional class taught by a foreign professor (their thoughts not being in English was simply distracting). I also learned a lot about myself while at college. For example, nothing is a bigger turn off than having a guy go down on you while he is thinking about the last girl he ate out. That line of thought is a show stopper, let me tell you!

I guess that's why I was immediately attracted to Quinn; I couldn't pick up a clear thought from him. It was like all his thoughts were hazy at best. I'd met, and dated, a few other people whose thoughts came through hazy, but Quinn was the most attractive by far. He was very tall, with muscles that make women want to scream with delight and men hit the gym for hours, and the most beautiful purple eyes that I wanted to get lost in. That first night we made out on the hood of his car. I'd never been with a man whose hands were so big they could cup and fully enjoy my DD breasts. I was completely smitten. We dated for a year before we decided to get married and live in Bon Temps. We had a small wedding because we wanted to save our money for the renovations we were working on at Gran's house.

We had been living in Gran's renovated house only a month when I'd found out I was pregnant with Lars. I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything, but it would've been nice to have a husband who was a little more present during my pregnancy. I was about four months into my pregnancy when Quinn started acting really strange. At first I chalked his behavior up to being busy with work. Quinn owned the largest event planning company in the southeast and was constantly traveling to accommodate his growing clientele. But as the months continued to pass, Quinn's behavior only got stranger. I only had a month and a half left in my pregnancy when Quinn dropped a huge information bomb, and if I hadn't been pregnant I would've left him. Evidently, there are stranger things in the world than someone who can hear other people's thoughts… and I happened to be married to one. Quinn could turn into a tiger. So, it turned out that there's a whole group of people that are called shifters and weres. Some turn into werewolves, some into tigers, and some into anything they want… Holy Shit! As the news sank in, he then went on to explain that our son would probably be able to change into a tiger also, although because I'm not a "weretiger" he wouldn't be a full-blooded "were". Oh! _And_ I couldn't deliver our son in a hospital because they would do tests and be able to determine that he wasn't completely human.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone and spent the next few hours crying. The news had just been too much for my pregnant hormonal self. I eventually calmed down enough to realize that now was as good a time as any to tell Quinn about my ability. He took it exceptionally well and said that he had actually met a few telepaths before and it wasn't a big deal to him. In hind sight, it shouldn't have been a big deal, it's not like I told him I turned into a sloth or anything! _ But_ at the time, I just felt relief and a sense that our relationship was more secure because we were now completely honest with each other.

I managed to convince my parents that a home birth was best for me and the baby. Quinn arranged for a doctor who treated weres to deliver the baby when the time came. Lars arrived just two weeks later, a month early, but was a large baby weighing in at eight pounds two ounces. Lars was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen. He had Quinn's purple eyes and my blond hair. He fed insatiably and at two months old looked more like a six month old.

It was when Lars was two months old that the world changed again. Quinn and I sat on the couch watching TV as the big announcement was made that _other beings_ lived among us normal humans. It should've come as more of a surprise, but it made sense, when I learned that the only other men I'd dated turned out to be a were and a shifter. Sam, my boss and occasional date from the bar I worked at in high school, was a shifter and one of the types that could turn into anything he saw. Alcide, one of the guys I dated in college, was a werewolf. What was most shocking about the announcement, though, was that vampires, yes_ vampires_, are real and have been living amongst us!

"Did you know about the vampires?" I had asked Quinn, timidly.

"Yes, we have a history."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No."

And that was the end of our conversation about, what was later coined, "The Night of Great Revelations".

Quinn managed to track me down to the corporate apartment the night after I'd walked in on him and Debbie. I'd had a bottle of Crown so, I stupidly let him in. He tried to lean in for a kiss, but I leaned back, staggered over to the couch, and sat down. One good look at him and I broke down.

"What did I do? Was I a bad wife? Are you not happy with our family?"

"No, Sookie, it's not you. It's me."

_Great, here we go… _I gave him a look that made my skeptical feelings known. "Right…"

"Sookie, I never wanted you to find out about this-"

I cut him off, "I bet you didn't."

"Listen, I need you to give me a few minutes to explain."

I nodded my head, but crossed my arms over my chest.

"There are certain things that you cannot understand because you aren't a were. Things are different for us; we cannot allow our species to die out. For a long time we could only marry other weres of the same species, but many of us were unhappy about what was basically a pre-arranged marriage. When, I met you, I knew I wanted to marry you so I had to get an exception. I was allowed to marry you-"

"You were _allowed_ to marry me? Don't give me this bullshit Quinn."

"Damn-it Sookie, this isn't easy for me."

I rolled my eyes and waived my hand for him to continue.

"When I was allowed to marry you, I had to agree to mate with another weretiger."

"Excuse me. Did you just say _mate_?"

"Yes. Debbie and I are required to mate to produce a full blooded weretiger for the good of our pack."

"What the fuck!?! For the good of the pack you need to cheat on your wife and produce a child?"

"Yes, I know it sounds strange to your standards, but Debbie and I do not love each other. We are simply doing what is required of us because we have married non-weres."

"You are out of your fucking mind. You've got to know that!" I let that hang in the air for a few minutes before I continued. "So, I'm supposed to share my husband so you can keep your pack alive? Wait, here's a better idea, how about keeping your dick in your pants and doing artificial insemination? Huh, did you think about that before you were shoving your dick in her?"

From the look on his face I knew he hadn't thought about artificial insemination. He was caught, quite literally, with his pants around his ankles.

"Sookie, it was a sacrifice that had to be made."

"No, it wasn't. I will not live that way. Now get the hell out. I'll be by the house tomorrow to get my clothes and we'll work out some kind of shared custody for Lars."

"Sookie, it's not like I was enjoying it."

"Ha! I heard the moaning, you prick! You were screwing her in _our_ bed, where _our_ son was conceived. You disgust me! Get out!" My hands flew up in the air as I had reached my tolerance level for his bullshit.

And with that, Quinn left. Even though I was furious I also felt like a piece of my heart had been ripped out. I sank back down on the couch and cried myself to sleep.

So, here I am. Packing up my old house, my old home, and officially moving into a condo I have since bought in the same building as the corporate one. Quinn and I have actually been civil while working out the custody of Lars and the living arrangements. We've agreed to a fifty fifty split for shared custody with flexibility to accommodate his travel requirements and mine. Generally, he'll get Lars Monday through Thursday or Friday and I'll get him the remaining time. If Quinn is not traveling with his job he's normally home during the week so it worked out well for him to take Lars during that time. I, on the other hand, had no social life to speak of so having a 15 month old on the weekend didn't really bother me.

The living situation was a strange discussion. Even though the house had been in my family for several generations, walking in on Quinn having sex with another woman was enough to make me never want to step foot in the house again. Having made myself clear on that point with Quinn, we agreed that he could continue to live in the house but he would make monthly payments to me in the amount of $1000 to cover my housing expenses in addition to the monthly child support of $750. I didn't really want his money, I didn't need it, but I told myself I'd take it because it was the least he could do for our son since he single handedly broke up our happy family.

I am now working on the _new_ Sookie. Yes, I am now a single parent, but I think I'm stronger for it. I have no idea if he's still _mating _with Debbie; I honestly, try not to think about it. Nevertheless, I'm determined to start living my life to the fullest and enjoying every minute! It's time for something new!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First, thank you all so much for the favorable response to chapter 1! I love all the reviews and many thanks to everyone who added the story to their alerts or favorites!

Second, the story wouldn't make a bit of sense if it wasn't for the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who worked her amazing beta magic once again. Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility… yeah, I went to college but I'm a banker- come see me when you need a loan, LOL, this is what I do for fun.

Unfortunately, I don't own the characters in the story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she lets me borrow Eric for my lemony thoughts.

***** *****

_Shit! Being a single parent is tough! _It's 9:30 and I'm just heading into the office, my first day officially back after _Separation Leave_ (a.k.a a petty excuse by my Dad and Brother at making me take a few days off to sober up and get my shit together before coming back to work). I was, however, glad I was getting back into a semi-normal routine. I was not glad to have to wake up an hour earlier, even though I now lived much closer to the office, so that I could get Lars up, fed, and ready for preschool. He'd always attended preschool in Shreveport, so, at least, I didn't have to change that piece of his life. He was handling the changes associated with the separation well, but I could tell he missed Quinn. Hell, I did too, but I just couldn't forgive what he'd done.

I trudged through the morning prep routine with a smile, not only for Lars, but also for myself because he was going to stay with Quinn tonight. Meaning, I'd get to veg out on the sofa with some Ben & Jerry's and watch all the Lifetime chick flicks a girl could want without having to put on a happy face for Lars' sake. I strapped Lars in his car seat in the back of my Tahoe, (I refused to be one of those minivan, soccer moms but I could handle the big SUV) and headed for the preschool. Miss Arlene, as she liked the kids to call her, waved as I pulled up to the drop off. I was quite certain that a woman who held the kind of questionable reputation she held should not be called _Miss_ by anyone, no matter how old they were. I quickly turned off the ignition and jumped out to get Lars. He started to whimper when I handed him over to Arlene, but stopped when she told him she had a surprise for him in the classroom. No matter what I thought of her personal life she was good with the kids and I had to give her credit for that.

I tried to convince myself that I was not making the walk of shame as the elevator slowly crept up to the fifteenth floor at 9:45, almost an hour late. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as the doors opened and I was greeted by Tara, our bubbly receptionist.

"Good Morning Ms. Stackhouse."

I silently patted myself on the back for not changing my name after I got married, at least that was one thing I didn't have to worry about during the separation. "Good morning Tara. How are the boys?" Tara had three boys under the age of five and I couldn't understand how she didn't shoot herself when she went home everyday to the madhouse I was certain she lived in.

"Growin' like weeds!"

"That's lovely," I smiled. "Has the meeting already started?"

"Yes, but the senior Mr. Stackhouse said he could brief you afterwards, if you'd prefer."

I grimaced at the thought of my _Father_ covering for me with the staff. "Thanks but I'll head on in," I replied as I walked towards the conference room.

All heads turned towards the door as I entered the room filled with our best researchers, accountants, lawyers, and head hunters. I felt their eyes digging into my soul and questioning every decision I had ever made, both professionally and personally, because of my one bad decision to marry Quinn. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this was exactly why I wore my power suit today. I was decked out in my best navy Hugo Boss, the one that always made me feel like the most powerful woman in Shreveport. I had chosen my baby blue button down shirt that matched my eyes and wore it with three buttons undone to make me feel extra sexy with the top of my tanned breasts showing just enough. I stepped my outfit up a notch today by wearing a brand new pair of four and a half inch heels and a new silver necklace and earring set I bought during my _separation leave_. Daddy smiled at me and nodded towards the empty seat next to Jason at the opposite end of the long rectangular conference table.

Jason scribbled something on the legal pad sitting in front of him and slid it over for me to see.

'Damn. I didn't know you were back on the prowl.'

I gave him my best _shut the fuck up _look and smiled at Daddy as he continued with the rundown of our current and prospective clients.

"Sookie," I looked up as I realized Daddy was talking to me. "I'd like you to research a new prospect that has just come onto the market. It appears we have a potential client that is thinking about buying out a chain of adult nightclubs and bars. We'll be giving him some preliminary findings- mostly just industry statistics- tomorrow evening as we present him with our costs and a contract for the full acquisition package."

"Absolutely, I'll get together with you after the meeting for more details."

"Actually, that is all the detail we have at the moment. Our prospect has given us very little information but has agreed to sit down with us to discuss the deal further if he likes our preliminary findings."

I nodded my head and smiled. The meeting continued, but I zoned out. I could feel Jason's glare and knew that he was furious that I was working on the adult nightclub deal instead of him. In truth, Daddy didn't pick me over Jason, he just knew Jason couldn't handle this assignment with the same professionalism that I would. Everyone knew, and Daddy especially, that Jason jumped at any opportunity to frequent a strip club. Daddy also knew Jason would blow an entire month's budget in one night if he thought he could actually get away with spending company money while doing _research_. Daddy knew I could stay professional despite the provocative circumstances that were bound to arise when doing research of that nature.

As soon as the meeting ended I practically ran to my office to get away from the tirade I was sure was about to come out of Jason's mouth. I had always loved my office. The fifteen floor is high enough that you get a nice view of Shreveport's skyline, but not so high that you feel you're above the clouds on a rainy day. The view was spectacular from my corner office. It had a dark cherry executive desk complete with a custom designed high-backed leather chair and two overstuffed brown leather couches that faced each other. I had originally wanted two black leather couches with the more modern lines until I realized they simply weren't as comfortable as the overstuffed couches I finally chose. I liked having an office that was large, but the furniture was placed so that it had an intimate feeling at the same time.

I had just put down my legal pad and purse when my office phone rang. I instinctively picked up as soon as I registered the ringing.

"Hel-"I was cut off, but not before I realized I had answered my office line like I would've answered my cell. Wow, this was going to be a long first day back from _separation leave_.

"Shit Sookie! Ever answer your phone?" Amelia, of course, who else would interrupt me during my greeting? Of course, part of me was glad it was just Amelia and not a potential or existing client since I'd answered so informally.

"I'm pretty sure I just did otherwise you wouldn't be hearing my lovely voice," I replied snidely.

"I meant your cell phone, hussy."

"Oh, well, you know I've been busy."

"Yeah, right. Listen, you need to go out and get back into the single life in this town."

"Amelia, I really don't think-"again, I was cut off. This was getting old.

"Oh really? What are you going to do tonight? Sit at home and watch Lifetime movies while you eat Ben and Jerry's?"

Damn, she knew me too well. "Listen, you know I'd love to but I don't have anyone to watch Lars."

"Sookie Stackhouse! You haven't lied to me since the sixth grade when I asked you if you'd gotten your period yet, I can't believe you're going to start now!"

Fuck! How did she know? And how did she remember all the way back to sixth grade?

"I talked to your Mom a few minutes ago and she told me Quinn was watching Lars tonight and for the rest of the week."

I cringed at her using his name without an expletive before or after. It was easier to hide from the pain when I thought about all the rage I felt towards him.

"So, I know you have no real excuse to not hang out with your best pal tonight. Besides, I think it's time for something new for you. I want to go check out that new vampire bar. They say the owner was a Viking!"

"Amelia, I don't know that this is the best idea. Quinn always said vampires were nothing but trouble and I don't think he'd lie to me about something like that."

"So, you're still going to let him control your life?"

Ouch, that stung deep. "No," I finally mustered.

"Great, do you want me to pick you up or do you want to meet me there?"

"Let's just meet there." I wanted access to my own car. As much as I love Amelia, she had ditched me at a bar one too many times to go hook up with her latest fling.

"If you stand me up Sookie Stackhouse, I swear I'll never talk to you again."

"Fine. I said I'll go, so leave me alone! I'll meet you there at ten okay?"

"Do you even know where it is?"

"Yes, I've _heard_ all about it."

"Gotcha. Love ya Sook!"

"Bye Amelia"

I sank back in my chair as I recalled all the private thoughts I'd heard about the vampire club known as Fangtasia. Tara's husband had taken her there for their last anniversary to _spice things up_ in the bedroom. The next day she came into work with a foggy memory of arriving at the club and then waking up naked in a hotel room with her husband and two puncture wounds on her neck. The strangest thing was that she couldn't remember anything about the club or what or who had led them to the hotel room. She could tell she'd had sex but she'd never know if it was with her husband or the random vamp that evidently bit her neck. I shivered at the thought of waking up in a hotel room alone and not being able to remember how I got there. I was going with Amelia, we'd just have to stick together and take care of each other.

I decided to get to work right away on my industry research for the prospect meeting the next evening. Google was always the best place to start. I jotted down a few notes and the websites they corresponded to when my phone rang again. _Damn, I'm popular today._

"Sookie Stackhouse," I remembered my more professional greeting this time.

"Sookie, its Mom. Listen, has Amelia called you?"

"Yes and you are not forgiven for sharing details of my personal life."

"Sorry honey, but she's your best friend and besides that I think she's right. You need to go out and have a good time."

I nodded my head sarcastically at the phone receiver. "What's up Mom?"

"Well, I wanted to let you know that I'm going to pick up Lars and take him over to Quinn tonight."

"That's really not necessary Mom."

"Well, I'm going to do it nonetheless."

"Um, ok." I could tell she was hiding something.

"So, I'll go pick him up and get his stuff packed for the week with Quinn."

Again, she sounded like she was hiding something. "What's up Mom?"

"Oh nothing." She paused. I suddenly wished I could hear her thoughts through the telephone so we could move this little conversation along. It was now almost eleven and I still hadn't started working, so my patience was running thin. "Well, it's just that I think Quinn has probably had enough time now to realize what a mistake he made and will probably try to win you back. You know how I feel about divorce, but infidelity is a game ender in my book."

Shit. I did not want to be having this conversation with my mom while I was at work. "Listen Mom, I appreciate what you're trying to do and I understand why. So, why don't you continue with your plan to get Lars from preschool and let me handle Quinn _if_ he tries to do something to get me back."

"Ok honey. Enjoy the rest of your day."

I hung up without saying goodbye. What is up with everyone in my business today? You'd think I was incapable of taking care of myself! Jesus! I threw myself into my research determined to not think about Quinn or any other friends or family for the rest of the day.

I realized at 3:30 that I hadn't taken a break all day and I was suddenly famished. I vowed not to leave work just yet so it was looking like a vending machine afternoon. I strolled to the break room to get a Coke and a granola bar taking the time to stretch my legs and try to not let my mind wonder to my personal drama. On the way back to my office I noticed a beautiful bouquet of red roses on Tara's desk. _Hmm, at least someone's ensured to get lucky tonight_, I thought as I smiled at the flowers and envied her.

"Oh, Sookie. These are for you." Tara smiled and cocked an eyebrow at me in a suggestive manner.

Puzzled I walked over to pick up the vase with what looked to be two dozen roses. Suddenly it hit me; this had Quinn written all over it. I took the flowers back to my office because I didn't trust myself to open the card in front of anyone. Sure enough, 'Sookie, I miss you and I'm sorry. Please come home. –Quinn'. My face became red and hot as I read and reread the card. As if the flowers and card weren't bad enough, my cell phone started vibrating not thirty seconds later. _Quinn Calling…_ Shit! I quickly hit ignore and sent the call to my voicemail. My mind was reeling as I flashed back to Quinn and the bitch in our bed just a few weeks ago. I was brought out of my day nightmare (because that scene was definitely not a dream) when my phone vibrated again to alert me that I had a new voicemail. "I can do this, I can do this," I chanted to myself as I hit the button to dial my voicemail.

"Babe, it's Quinn. I hope you enjoyed my surprise today, I know how you love roses. I can't wait to talk to you tonight when you drop off Lars. I miss you. I love you." And that was the end of the message.

"_Fuck him!_ " I yelled as I suddenly realized I had forgotten to close the office door prior to my melt down. I marched over and slammed it. I leaned my back against the door and slid down until I was sitting on the floor with my knees bent up to my chest. _ Breathe Sookie, just _breathe… but it was no use, the waterworks were coming.

I managed to get myself together about five minutes later. As quickly as I stopped crying I became angry, no furious, at the situation all over again. _Hell yes he should miss me and he should be fucking sorry. What a prick! _I suddenly felt the urge for revenge and I knew the rest of my workday was shot.

***** *****

Less than an hour later, (yeah I know I said I wasn't going to leave work early, but I also wasn't expecting Quinn to fuckup my day either) I was standing in front of Fredericks of Hollywood trying to decide exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't looking for something that said "Please fuck my brains out" but I also wasn't looking for something that said "I'm a mom and it's been years since I've gone to a bar with the intention of finding a fuck buddy" so I commenced to walk into the store to try and find something that was sexy, without making me look like a tramp.

I was immediately struck by all the lingerie and I desperately wanted a reason to buy such items again. Quinn had never been big on lingerie, he was more of a _less is more, down and dirty_ kind of guy, so I didn't really spend much money on it while we were together. But with all these options, I couldn't help but remember the fact that nothing used to make me feel sexier than a lace chemise. I continued to the back of the store, where the clothing was displayed, and began my search for an appropriate club outfit but promised myself that I would look at the lingerie before I left the store.

I quickly spotted a black razor backed sleeveless shirt that I thought would be perfect with a tight pair of jeans and my black stiletto boots. From the front the shirt looked sexy with a neckline that draped just below the bust and was accentuated with black lace that would cover your cleavage. The back of the shirt was made entirely of the same see-through black lace as the front. It had a bow at the neck and waist. I wouldn't be able to wear a bra, but I didn't have a problem going without. I closed my eyes and said a small prayer of thanks for the fact that breastfeeding Lars hadn't decreased the perkiness of my breasts. Yes, having perky breasts is inconsequential for most women in comparing assets, but I had always been told that I had great breasts and I liked to flaunt them when I had a chance. I decided the shirt was the way to go and headed back to the front of the store to pick out some lingerie.

I selected a black lace halter style chemise (that would accentuate my large breasts), several pairs of lace thongs and boy shorts (because they always made my ass look hot), and matching lace bras in various colors. While waiting in line to checkout I decided Quinn was due some payback for his little flower charade earlier. I quickly whipped out his credit card that I was still listed as an authorized user on and swiped it for the $250 bill. _Think on that one big boy_, I thought as I headed out the door with my bags in hand. I had just enough time to get home and prepare for my first night out as a single woman. Watch out Shreveport, Sookie Stackhouse is back on the market!


	3. Chapter 3

Many thanks again to all who have added the story to your favorites and alerts… it totally makes my day when I get the email alert! Please continue to review, it keeps me going.

As always the story wouldn't make a bit of sense if it wasn't for the awesome SibylVane Vamp who, on top of I swear being the most patient woman in the world, worked her amazing beta magic. Any and all mistakes are my sole responsibility… my trial of word is over and works just sucks so the revision process was not fun or easy with this chapter.

Unfortunately, I don't own the characters in the story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but I get to play with them for my amusement.

_*****__*****_

_Am I really ready for this?_ I thought as I pulled into the parking lot of the new vampire club, Fangtasia, a few minutes before ten. The club was located in a small strip mall on the outskirts of town; little would distinguish it as a vampire club during the day. At night, however, a bright red neon sign adorned the door with _Fangtasia_ written in script lettering. I quickly looked around the parking lot and noticed the normal selection of cars you'd expect to find outside of any bar or nightclub. Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys filled the parking lot, with a few higher end cars (BMWs and Mercedes) littered throughout. I scolded myself for thinking that broomsticks or something along those lines would be parked outside the club. I took in a deep breath. _Time to get this evening started_, I thought.

_R U here yet…_ I texted Amelia. While I waited for her reply I reflected back on my day. I still can't believe Quinn had the balls to send me flowers and call me even though I hadn't heard from him in weeks. After my shopping excursion at Fredericks I went home and began my old date prep routine. It had been years since I'd worried about getting ready for a date, or a night out on the town, but I fell easily back into my old routine. I showered using a sugar scrub so my skin was dewy soft. I took care of all my shaving needs, I hadn't thought about doing a bikini shave since last summer so I definitely had to take care of that. I even managed to make enough time to paint my toes and finger-nails. I slipped on a pair of the black lace boy shorts and tried my new shirt on with the jeans I'd initially thought I would wear. But instantly decided my denim miniskirt would be even better. I pulled my knee-high black boots with a stiletto heel out of the storage box they'd been in and put them on. Before I left the condo I took a few minutes to check myself out in the full length mirror. The shirt was sexy as hell and paired with the mini skirt and boots, I was guaranteed to turn some heads.

And there I was, ready for my first night out as a newly single woman. I checked my phone but still didn't have a reply from Amelia. The clock said 10:00pm and I was getting antsy. I decided that if I didn't go inside soon I would probably chicken out. I quickly checked my makeup and hair, then slid out of my seat. Before walking towards the club I straightened my skirt and bent over to adjust my girls to their fullest potential. Shoving my shoulders back, I headed towards the entrance. A beautiful blonde vampire stood at the door checking IDs and collecting the cover charge. She looked to be about twenty three (although, who knows how old she actually was) with long blond hair and a body that made me self-conscious (and I was rarely self-conscious about my body). She was dressed in a black latex dress that barely covered her ass. As with any latex, the dress was skin tight and left nothing to the imagination. As I stepped towards to the beautiful vamp she eyed me up and down and I felt the heat rise to my chest and face.

"Lookin' for some action tonight, Blondie?" She asked with one eyebrow cocked.

"Excuse me?" Surely this woman did not just hit on me.

"I've yet to see a fang banger look like you."

"Fang-what?"

"Never mind. Virgin to the club, huh?"

"Um… yeah, I guess."

"I'm sure you'll be well taken care of," she said somewhat under her breath while she accepted my money and handed me back my ID. She leaned in me and blew a cool breath on my neck, "Enjoy yourself."

Wow, I did not go for women but my nipples were suddenly hard. I quickly strode through the front door and took a deep breath to collect myself. Inside, the club was familiar and yet entirely different from any club I'd ever frequented all at the same time. Of course there were the familiars, black painted walls with no windows, the bar area with shelves lined with a plethora of liquors, black high-backed booths lining the walls, and of course a dance floor in the middle of the large room. That was where the similarities ended.

The crowd on the dance floor appeared to be a mixture of vampires and humans, dressed up as vampires, in skin tight latex. Many of the humans were grinding themselves on the vampires- it looked as if they were fucking right there on the dance floor. The vampires responded by rubbing their fangs along the humans necks… (-yeah, I just don't get the turn on I guess.) At the opposite end of the club, across from the bar, sat a stage that looked like it was originally intended for a live band. However, the stage was definitely not set up for a band. Sitting there, on what looked to be a throne straight out of medieval England, was the most attractive man (well he was a vampire, so, the most attractive being) I'd ever laid eyes on. He had blond hair that fell just below his sculpted shoulders and wore a black t-shirt, black jeans, and black motorcycle boots. The dark clothing set off his pale skin and blue eyes. My heart was pounding and I knew I needed to find a place to sit down, fast. I spotted a vacant booth and slid in with my back to the bar so I could continue to eye the attractive man on the throne.

As soon as I sat down my phone vibrated with text message from Amelia.

_Im here where r u?_

_Inside r u sure about this? _I replied, quickly.

Almost immediately she replied, _Yup._

As I waited for Amelia to come inside a waitress, human, came over to take my drink order.

"Welcome to Fangtasia, I'm Candy. What can I get you tonight?" She said with a monotone voice of no enthusiasm.

Wow, no personality there. I knew from working in a bar while in high school that it was a tough job but this woman needed to learn how to fake it a little better or her tips would be crap. "I'll take a gin and tonic please." I smiled at Candy but I swear she rolled her eyes before she turned on her heel and walked towards the bar. I took in a deep breath and rubbed my temples as I was starting to get a headache. I briefly let my shields down to take in the thoughts around the room.

_Damn, I just want him to fuck me! ~ blank~ He is so fucking hot!~ blank~ Is he watching? I bought this outfit specifically because I thought he would like it. ~ blank~ Carrie told me that she heard he was hung like a horse. I bet he's never had anyone as good as me. ~ God, just bite me already!_

That was enough, I forced my shields back up. Everyone in the club seemed to be focused on one thing and one thing only, fucking the gorgeous man on the throne. I noticed though that the vampires in the room came through as blank spots. There were no thoughts, only blank space… very interesting.

I glanced up just in time for the blond god on the throne to catch my eye, he raised an eyebrow in my direction. I lowered my eyes, but glanced back at him through my eyelashes and I let a smile curl up the sides of my lips. Our moment was halted though, as Amelia came hopping over to the table and slid into the booth across from me.

"What's up chicka?" Amelia was oblivious to the fact that she'd just interrupted my moment with the blond god. I brushed it off, but hoped that I'd be able to catch his eye later.

"Nothing much, just waiting on my drink to get here." Perfect timing, Candy came back right then and deposited my gin and tonic in front of me.

Candy turned to Amelia, "Welcome to Fangtasia, I'm Candy. What can I get you tonight?" Same monotone delivery, nice.

"Wow! Candy, I can tell you love your job and all, but honey, you've got to perk up a little bit!" I almost spit the first sip of my drink. "I mean you have some of the best eye candy in town," Amelia nodded her head towards the blond god.

Candy rolled her eyes, but, strangely, not at Amelia. "I know, right. I mean that is the whole reason I took this job, but he, evidently, is too good to sleep with his employees. On top of that, he's a tough boss, very demanding." Hmm, I could appreciate and understand his logic; its not smart to sleep with your employees.

"So what is hotness' deal?" Amelia asked Candy.

"Oh, he's a looker, but rarely does he come down to our level." Ok, two thoughts: one, what the hell did she mean by "our level"? I certainly wouldn't put _Miss No Personality Candy _on "our level." Second, it was all starting to make sense… all the women in the room were there because they wanted to get the blond god's attention. The smirk suddenly returned to my lips as I thought about the look he had given me earlier and I immediately brought my gin and tonic back to my lips in an effort to conceal it. Thankfully, Amelia and Candy continued their conversation without noticing that I had slipped away into my own little world.

My eyes darted to the throne to see that he was once again staring at me, as if he was trying to figure me out. He sat there with his legs spread comfortably apart, his elbows on the armrests, and his finger tips gently met each other to rest on his lips. My eyes lowered back to the area between his legs; the area that was displayed for my viewing pleasure. I couldn't take my eyes off the large bulge between his legs. I swear I could see his length stretch down to the middle of his thigh and a small groan might have even escaped my lips. I pulled my lower lip into my mouth and sucked on it for just a moment, moving my eyes back up the blond god's body to his face. He shifted in his seat and I wondered if he was thinking about me in the same way I was thinking about him. I felt the cool pool of my wetness and realized this man had turned me on with no more than a look. Shit! I had to get control of myself.

"Sookie… Hello! Earth to Sookie…"

"Huh? What? So sorry."

"Candy here was just asking if you wanted another drink."

"Oh! Yeah, Candy, that would be great." Candy turned back to Amelia and kept talking about God only knows what.

I glanced back at the blond god, but the beautiful blonde bouncer was now at his side and they appeared to be having a private conversation. Suddenly, they both looked my way.

I almost choked on my gin and tonic. "Shit!" I exclaimed as a small amount of the liquid escaped from the glass and ran down the valley between my breasts.

"Damn girl. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sorry." I realized that Candy had slipped away at some point and I wondered how long I'd really been in my little fantasy world.

"So is the blond sexiness looking at you the way you're looking at him?" I looked at Amelia like she'd grown a second head. "Don't look at me like that. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Yeah, I did know what she was talking about. Hell, my damp underwear knew what she was talking about! But I wasn't about to admit it.

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"Right. That's two times in one day you've lied to me. You're walking on thin ice girl." She grinned at me, and I knew she was kidding. I rolled my eyes and glanced around the club, trying desperately not to look towards the stage. Amelia started babbling on about some asshole at her work and I smiled and tried to look interested.

That lasted all of about thirty seconds before my eyes roamed back to the throne like a magnet was drawing them to that exact location. He wasn't there. My heart sank as I thought about all the women in the club whose intentions were to catch his eye, and fuck him. I concluded, much to my dismay, that he must've picked one of them and taken them up on their offer for blood and sex. I shivered as I thought about him sinking his fangs into my neck… Ok, maybe I could understand the allure of having one of the beautiful creatures feed from me.

"Hmm, I love when humans shiver like that. It increases the sensitivity of the nipple." I looked up, startled to see the blonde beauty from the front door, the one who also happened to be talking to the blond god just a few minutes before.

"Excuse me?" Suddenly it hit me that she was coming onto me, again, and I had no idea how to react. I'd never been hit on by a woman before, much less twice in one night.

Amelia laughed, "I've found that nipple clips work exceptionally well for increasing the sensitivity of my nipples." Shit, was Amelia flirting back with the blonde beauty? Yup, she licked her lips and looked directly at the blonde's chest. Amelia had dated a couple of girls back in college so I knew she liked women as much as she liked men, but I hadn't seen her flirt so blatantly with another woman in years.

"Good to know. I'm Pam." She smirked at Amelia.

"Nice to meet you Pam. I'm Amelia and this is Sookie," Amelia nodded her head towards me as I smiled up at Pam.

"Care to join me?" Pam motioned towards the dance floor. Amelia looked back at me to make sure I'd be ok, just as a new gin and tonic arrived for my enjoyment. I nodded my head as I picked up my new drink. Amelia slid out of the booth as Pam placed a hand on her hip guiding her to the dance floor. I watched them for a few minutes before allowing my mind to wander back to the blond god. I pictured myself straddling him as he sat on the throne. I would rock my hips back and forth as his dick got hard in his pants. The growing tension would rub against my nub creating that oh so pleasurable feeling of almost being able to cum, but needing just a bit more contact for better stimulation. I was pulled out of my daydream once again by the wet feeling in my panties. I shifted in my seat trying to find some friction that would take me back to my lovely daydream.

"Are you having a _pleasurable_ evening?" A husky voice with a slight accent asked in a whisper from just over my left shoulder. I turned my head just enough to see the blond god in my peripheral vision. He was standing to the side of the booth, but leaning down so his mouth was only a few inches away from my left ear. His breath was cool as he spoke and the way he enunciated _pleasurable_ went straight down to my girly parts. I put on my best sexy smirk and turned my head back to face forward. Two can play that game.

"I am quite enjoying myself." I shifted my hips in a circular motion as I waited anxiously for our conversational flirting to continue. Much to my surprise the blond god slid into the booth beside me. The cool skin of his forearm brushed against mine sending an electric jolt through my body.

"Yes, I can smell that much." _Surely, he couldn't smell… well I guess it's true that vampires have extra sensitive senses. _I pondered the very strange response. If anyone else said that to me I'd probably have slapped him, but in his sexy voice it sounded like it was definitely a compliment. A few strands of his long blond hair fell onto my shoulder and I thought I might lose it right there.

"Are all your senses heightened?" I asked, as I ran my middle finger lightly and slowly up his thigh. I swear I heard him groan, "Hmm," but it came out as more of a purr, "I'm certain most of the women here are also turned on by you." _Get a grip Sookie, otherwise you're going to attack this guy right here in front of the entire crowd! _I was sure that he knew all the women in the club were there to try to get his attention, even if it was only for the night. Was I any different? Maybe not, but damn… I could really use some no-strings-attached sex right now and he was a hot vampire that seemed like the type I'd like to get it from.

I let the silence fill the air as I slowly turned my head to get an up close look at him. All his other amazing features faded away when I looked into his gorgeous blue eyes. I also have blue eyes so I'm normally not impressed by them but I was, quite simply, captivated by his. They were the same shade of blue as one of my favorite pieces of jewelry, an aquamarine ring my Gran had given me when I graduated high school. I'd always loved the aquamarine stone because it was honest; not as flashy as a blue tanzanite, but in the right light a good quality aquamarine could show its color just as brilliantly. I realized I was staring and started to lean back when his hand found my thigh.

My eyes glanced down to his hand and then back up to his face. In the second I looked away his fangs had descended. I made a small gasp due to the shock of actually seeing a vampire, in the flesh, with his fangs visible. I was having an almost out of body moment, when I realized that my hand was moving towards his mouth. I was so curious about his fangs…I just wanted to touch one. His eyes held amusement and curiosity as my hand seemed to move in slow motion towards his mouth. Finally, my right index finger grazed one of his lower fangs. Amazingly, it was sharper than a knife point and I pulled my hand back as I realized it had pricked my finger tip. Quicker than I could register, the blond god grabbed my hand sucking the injured finger into his mouth. His eyes closed as his lips encased my finger. I felt another pool of wetness escape me and I moaned as I thought about what those plump lips could do to other parts of my body.

When he opened his eyes I saw his hunger flare and I knew what he wanted from me. He stood from the booth and reached for my hand. As I took it I glanced back to the dance floor to try to locate Amelia.

"Do not worry about your friend. Pam will take good care of her." His statement both comforted and frightened me at the same time. As he led me through a side door, I noted for the first time that evening, the music that was playing. The first few notes of _Closer_ by Nine Inch Nails started. _Such an appropriate song _I thought and I knew there was no going back.

I practically ran to keep up with him as we charged down a hall, taking an abrupt left into an office just before back exit. The music continued to pump through speakers down the hall and into the room. Once in the office I had no time to look around. He swung me around and pressed me against the back of the closed door. Leaning down he blew a cool breath on my neck. I leaned my head back against the door waiting for what was coming next. His large hands grabbed the sides of my face and his mouth was suddenly on mine. If I didn't believe the rumors about him being 1000 years old before, I did after that kiss. There was nothing gentle about the kiss as our tongues collaborated in a beautiful dance and I pulled back just enough to suck his bottom lip into my mouth. I moved my hands up and clasped his long hair as he pressed his hips into me so I could feel him getting hard. I moaned as he pushed himself further against my stomach. He didn't allow our lips to separate as his hands slowly explored my body. He stopped at my hips and lifted my short skirt up around my waist. Then moving his hands to cup my ass he pulled my legs around his middle. He lifted me as if I was light as a feather and I felt his cock rub against my warmth, even through his jeans. I became vaguely aware of the Nine Inch Nails song still playing in the background:

"I want to fuck you like an animal…I want to feel you from the inside…I want to fuck you like an animal…My whole existence is flawed…You get me closer to god…"

_Damn what a fucking hot song for this moment! _I thought as I bucked my hips towards the bulge in his pants, trying desperately to get more friction. I was even more excited by the thought of moving on to whatever goodness was going to happen next. I felt my ass settle on the desk and my mind began to soar with all the erotic things I wanted to do to the blond god right there and then.

He pulled away from me for the first time since we'd entered his office and eyed me sitting there on his desk, legs spread open, panting, waiting for him to finish what he'd started. His hands moved from my hips to the lower hem of my shirt. I took a deep breath and lifted my arms as he pulled my shirt slowly up my body and over my head. I thought I saw a smirk on his lips before they were on mine again as his hands were caressing and pinching my perked nipples. He once again rocked his hips into mine causing his hardness to brush against my nub. At that moment, nothing was more important to me than getting his clothes off and feeling his skin against mine. I lifted his t-shirt as high as I could, but I was still about a foot short of being able to take it fully off. His confident, sexy gaze returned as he finished taking it off for me. My hands ran down his sculpted chest and abs to his belt. I made quick work of his belt but took a little more time unbuttoning his jeans and slowly pulling down the zipper. I was elated to find that he had no other barriers of clothing to keep me away from my coveted prize. As I pushed down his pants his hard member sprang up to greet me. I leaned my head back and looked into the eyes of the hunter, fully aware that I was his prey and willing prey at that. I licked my lips and lowered my head to take his erect gracious plenty into my mouth. Moving my hands around to his ass I squeezed to press him further into my mouth.

'_Wow! What an ass!_' I noted, as my hands stroked his backside while my mouth stroked and sucked his cock. He groaned in pleasure as his hands found their way back to my breasts where he rolled my aching nipples between his long fingers. His hands left my breasts and wrapped in my hair. Pulling on my hair he forced my head back until his cock slipped from my lips. I watched as he slid one hand down my side to my inner thigh. A small whimper escaped my lips as his fingers grazed the crotch of my lace boy shorts. A second later his fingers grasped the thin fabric and ripped it open to allow access between my legs. He growled as he slipped two fingers into my wet folds, testing my readiness. As quickly as he had plunged his fingers into me they were withdrawn and moving towards his mouth. He smiled as he enclosed his lips around them.

"I wanted to see if your _pleasure _tasted as good as your blood." Well damn. There was more _pleasure _for him now that he said that.

I threw my lips on his and bucked my hips, bringing my, now bare, hot center desperately close to his hard dick. I groaned as he closed the distance and the head of his gracious plenty met my wetness.

"Oh yes! Please fuck me." I barely recognized my own voice as I threw my head back and begged him to take me. Without hesitation he once again cupped his hands under my ass and lifted me slightly, bringing me directly over his hardness, before loosening his grip and allowing me to plunge downward and encase him with my warmth. He moved our now joined bodies so that he was sitting in the large leather chair behind his desk and I was straddling him with one of my legs draped over each of the arms. I know it's horrible to think about past partners when you're having sex with someone new but I couldn't help it, I had never been so filled by a lover. I began to rock my hips back and forth to create friction while also allowing me to adjust to his size.

Quinn had had a similar length but not nearly the width of the blond god. I was abruptly brought out of my thoughts as his hands gripped my hips and began lifting me up and down, allowing me the full benefit of his size. With each thrust his cock came into contact with my special, but often elusive, spot. Within a few strokes I was cuming, hard. I leaned back until I was practically laying on the desk and I arched my breasts towards the ceiling. The blond god growled loudly as he continued lifting my hips and thrusting in me while I laid there, displayed for him. As my high subsided I lifted myself off the desk and locked my fingers behind his neck. I continued rocking my hips as his hands traveled up my sides to massage my breasts. He dipped his head to my left nipple taking it in his mouth slowly licking and sucking. The feel of his fangs scraping on my breast was thrilling and I arched my back encouraging him to continue. I felt two sharp pains as his fangs dipped into the soft skin. The pain was quickly masked by the intense pleasure I felt as he drew deeply from the wound. I felt my walls begin to tighten around him once again as my second release became imminent. As he continued to draw blood I felt him begin to pulse in response to my own impending release. We both screamed out as one last thrust brought us both over the edge. He licked my breast one last time and then looked up to stare into my eyes. I could feel my walls still vibrating and he appeared to be enjoying the post coital moment as much as I was.

Reluctantly, I lifted myself up and swung my right leg back until my boot was able to the touch the floor. He said nothing as I stood and eyed the room trying to locate my shirt. The silence continued as I put it back on and went back to leaning against the desk. In our haste I noticed that he hadn't even had time to take his shoes off, but then again neither had I. His pants were down around his ankles and he sat in his chair with his legs spread open in a manner much like the one I'd first noted when I entered the club, only he was clothed at that point. I smiled as I thought about how sexy he would look sprawled out naked like this on his throne.

Finally, he stood and pulled his pants back up to his waist, fastening the button and zipping up his fly. He placed a hand on either side of me as he leaned forward on the desk. His mouth once again met mine and the kiss held the same passion, but not the desperation, of our previous kisses. He locked eyes with me as he pulled back from the kiss.

"You came into the club tonight with your friend. You had a lovely time but drank too much. You ended up leaving early because you didn't feel well." His words confused me. Was he telling me what our story would be to tell Pam and Amelia?

"Alright there big guy. I think you've had enough of the hot blonde blood for one night. How about you kiss me one more time and I'll be on my way." He pulled back from me and his eyes narrowed. Had I pissed him off? Surely he didn't think we were going to have a cuddle session after having sex in his office? I placed a hand on his still bare chest and finished pushing him back so I could move away from his desk. I smiled over my shoulder at him as I walked to the door and made my escape. My last image of the blond god was of him standing behind his desk with his arms crossed over that amazing chest of his. I swear he was scowling despite, by my account anyway, just having some amazing sex. _'Well, at least you'll never have to see him again, Sook, just one more notch in the old belt' _I thought as I headed out of the club.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: First, let me say thank you to the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who worked her amazing beta magic once again. Really, she turned a bunch of crazy thoughts into a coherent chapter (and I'm forever grateful for her awesome skills). Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility.

Secondly, thank you all for hanging on throughout the dry spell. As you may have noticed on my profile page, I was expected a baby the first of March. She actually came a bit early and we welcomed a beautiful daughter into the world February 12th! Being a new mom is awesome and exhausting, but, hopefully, the updates will be more regular going forward.

Lastly, I don't own the characters in the story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she lets me borrow Eric for my lemony thoughts.

Thanks again for being so patient and without further ado…

**** ****

I slept on my stomach and covered my head with my pillow in an attempt to block out the morning light and, to be honest with myself, my thoughts as well. It appeared to be a bright, sunny, and probably beautiful morning, but I felt dark and damp and I wished I'd awoken to a rainy day. I wasn't depressed but I was not in a mood to greet the sunshine with chirping birds and other wildlife like Cinderella. I damn sure didn't feel like I was a princess in a Disney movie.

I took a peek at the alarm clock and became very thankful that I'd called Daddy the night before and told him I would be late to work. It was now 9:30, which meant I wouldn't be getting to work until at least 10:30. Daddy had said he didn't mind since we had that client meeting tonight at 8:00. I also knew he really wanted me to take some time to enjoy myself after everything went down the way it did with Quinn. He'd never admit it but I was sure he and Mom both felt that I needed to get back on the proverbial horse and start dating.

_Dating, not screwing the first man you see, Sookie. _"Argh!"

I rolled back over and covered my face with my hands trying to give myself a rational explanation for my behavior last night. I had never done something like that before. I just wasn't that type of girl, but then again, I had not walked in on someone I loved screwing someone else before. I guess that changes the type of person you think you are. I still don't know what the hell came over me. I mean sure he was hot, damn hot actually, with a body that would make a Hollywood talent scout drop to their knees and beg him to work for them. Not to mention he fucked me like I'd never been fucked before. My lady parts were still humming at the thought of him inside me.

"FUCK! I don't even know his name!" I yelled as I balled my fists over my eyes. What kind of mother goes to a vampire club and proceeds to screw the blond god every woman at the club was fantasizing over, in his office, after only a few sentences to become acquainted? Then again, what kind of father fucks his secretary in his marital bed to keep his 'pack alive'? Lars is so fucked! I know I'll be paying for some therapy when he gets older.

"Stop Sookie!" I finally said out loud after I'd done a pretty good job beating myself up. No, I was not going to do this. I was a good mother and a good person. Sometimes good people just need to get fucked… by a vampire. A smile slowly spread across my lips as I thought back to the way his hands gripped my hips while he thrust into me and brought me to my first orgasm. He was rough, unapologetic, and exactly what I needed.

I groaned at the thought of him taking me while he sat so proudly in his executive office chair. My right hand trailed over my hip and thigh making its way to rub between my legs. I desperately sought more friction as I thought of him stretching me as I adjusted to his large size. My fingers slipped below my panties and I plunged two of them into my core, trying my best to mimic the blond god's rhythm. I moved my left hand under my t-shirt, grasped a handful of my left breast massaging in rhythm as my fingers found the perfect spot inside. My breathing began to shorten as my hands stroked two of my pleasure points until finally I reached a small release. I lay in bed a few more minutes wondering if I'd had the best sex of my life last night. Until last night, I thought the first time I was with Quinn was the best I would ever have… but the blond god put Quinn to shame; hands down no competition.

_Ok Sookie, time for some coffee… you need to pull yourself together. _I sluggishly rolled out of bed and stumbled my way to the kitchen where I started a pot of coffee without even really thinking about what I was doing, it was like a reflex. While the coffee was brewing I stumbled back to the bathroom and took a hot shower to wake myself up.

I briefly thought about the fact that I was washing away any evidence of my encounter from last night but the need to rid myself of the smell of smoke and alcohol quickly overrode any objections I had. Come to think of it, I can't believe I didn't shower last night before I went to bed. I smiled and shook my head as I said a little thank you prayer for allowing me to drive my ass home safely, despite the amazing sex induced buzz I had going.

The shower started to turn cold and I knew it was time for me to come back to reality. After toweling off and getting my first mug of coffee I headed to my closet to pick out something to wear.

_Yesterday it was sexy power suit, today sex kitten in a skirt! _I smiled as I pulled out my chocolate brown pencil skirt and matching vest. The skirt fit snuggly to just below the knee and had a small slit up the back that was topped with a matching ribbon tied in a bow. I pulled a perfectly pressed white button up dress shirt out to wear under the equally tight vest. I loved the sexy but professional look of this outfit. The ensemble hugged by curves with the vest doing a wonderful job of further boosting my ample chest to make my waist look even smaller. Likewise, the shirt made the outfit professional with its crisp lines and French cuffs. Something about French cuffs had always caught my eye and nothing beats a man with French cuffs and monogrammed cufflinks. _I wonder if the blond god has cufflinks? I bet he cleans up very nicely. Hmm, like my own personal James Bond- I could be a Bond Girl…shit, girl, you've got to get over this! Was the sex great? Yes, but it was just one night; now its time to move forward._

Reluctantly I pulled myself once again out of my daydream and slipped on my chocolate heels to complete the look. I poured the remainder of the coffee in my travel mug and checked myself in the mirror before heading out the door.

As soon as I cranked the car my cell start buzzing with an incoming call. I rolled my eyes expecting the caller I.D. to show Jason calling to begin his verbal berating of my work ethic. After all it was 11:00 am and I was still not at work. To my surprise, however, it was Amelia.

"What's up girl?" I asked in as upbeat of a tone as I could manage before noon; a morning person I was not.

"Wow! Did you have as good of a time last night as I did? I looked for you after Pam and I danced a bit but you disappeared. I started to get worried but Pam insisted that you were 'more than fine', whatever that means and then she, well, she managed to take my mind away from worrying about you."

I had to laugh because Amelia was always easily distracted, but she made it sound like Pam did something special. Then again, if Pam was half as good as the blond god then maybe she did do something special.

"So anyway, what ended up happening with you and Eric?"

"Who?" Damn, it hit me right after the word left my mouth that I should've played along that I knew who she was talking about. My brain was definitely moving slower than my mouth this morning.

"The amazingly hot blond vamp that eye fucked you from across the room before Pam and I started dancing?" In a tone that made it clear she thought I had lost my mind.

"Oh yeah, well we talked a bit and he gave me a tour around the club." She didn't need to know that that tour started and concluded in his office where he gave me a thorough fucking on his desk.

"Huh, I thought you might have snuck off somewhere and got yourself laid." Wow, Amelia had even less tact in the morning. "Anyway, Pam was amazing." Thank god, she was moving on without questioning me too much about my tour of the club. "I think we're going to hang out again."

"That's awesome. Did she bite you?" I asked in my best middle school girl gossiping tone. I wanted her to think I was just toying with her, but I was actually really curious.

"Well, I don't like to kiss and tell- who am I kidding?- yes I do- and she did! At first I was kind of scared but she bit down right as I was… well you know, and it felt amazing! Who would've thought? We should definitely go back soon!"

"Hmm, maybe. Well, I hate to run but I just pulled into work and I really need to get something done before our big meeting with a prospective deal tonight. Wish me luck on getting this client nailed down with a contract."

"Sure. Good luck getting nailed; Lord knows you need it." I could hear the smile in her voice and I knew she was trying hard not to laugh.

I sighed and ended the call as I walked into building to begin what could only be a very stressful day.

Eric POV

I stood in my office and watched her walk out after dismissing me so easily. My glamour failed to erase her memory of our tryst. I was Eric-fucking-Northman and in1000 years, I had never had my glamour fail me before. I found my shirt and sat back in my chair.

There was no shortage of fangbangers to fuck and feed from but something about her was different. I opened Fangtasia shortly after The Reveal as another investment for not only a monetary return but also to establish a continual supply of humans to feed from. Every night they lined up outside the door to the club and waited like cows at a slaughter house. There was no shortage, as humans found the experience of the club to be thrilling even if only a select few were ever chosen for the great pleasure of donating their blood and bodies. My good looks had always provided me with a plethora of feeding and fucking options even before The Reveal and Fangtasia, but, again, I'd also had over 1000 years to perfect my game.

Over the years I'd enjoyed many sexual encounters, but never had a woman surprised me as much as the one who just walked out of my office.

I lifted my shirt to my nose and sniffed. It smelled of her, my mystery woman. The foremost scent was vanilla, probably from her lotion or shower gel of choice, but there was a sweet scent that resembled the fae. I sat there evoking from memory the vision of her sprawled out on my desk, her back arched in passion. My dick twitched and I tightened my grip on the shirt in my hand. Just I as was about to pull the shirt back over my head the faint scent of were sent me on high alert. I brought the shirt back to my face and sniffed again. There, beneath the initial scent of vanilla and potential fae was the distinct scent of a were.

My nostrils flared as I recalled every detail of our interaction looking for clues that she was a were. No, she could not have been a were; the scent was not strong enough and her blood tasted more of fae than were. Another sniff, she was not a were but had been with one fairly recently. I grew angry at the thought of a were touching a fine human such as that. I craved one more sniff of her scent and indulged myself before I threw the shirt in the laundry.

Grabbing another from the closet I kept stocked in my office, (sometimes feeding could get a bit messy). I headed back out to the main floor of the bar. I knew she would've already left but I found myself scanning the masses looking for her blonde head nonetheless. After fifteen minutes I was even more bored than usual and decided to call it a night, leaving the vermin that wished to worship me behind.

Driving back home I couldn't stop thinking of my blonde beauty. The scent of were was throwing me off though. It wasn't the scent of a werewolf, the most common were in my area, and it frustrated me that I wasn't able to identify the breed of were that had previously touched my blonde. The blonde who was nameless, other than becoming _My Blonde_. I already felt possessive of the little vixen that graced me with her presence tonight.

Once home I returned a few emails and confirmed several business meetings scheduled for the following night. I texted Pam to remind her that she should arrive at my house by 7:30 for us to head over to our meeting the following evening.

No matter how hard I tried my mind kept going back to _My Blonde_ splayed out on my desk as I pounded into her. She took me, all of me, and I enjoyed myself more that I had in at least fifty years. If I was honest with myself, I was glad I had been unable to erase our encounter from her memory. I was certain she would think of me again and perhaps we would meet again at a later time.

I awoke the following evening still thinking of my blonde vixen. Pam had left the club with the short brunette that sat with my vixen, so perhaps I could at least acquire her name. As I showered my hand involuntarily grasped the base of my cock as my mind, again, wondered back to my vixen. I was more than tempted to pleasure myself while reliving our encounter. But I forced my hand away as I told myself I would find a pretty little fangbanger to take my frustrations out on tonight.

I dressed in my tailored low rise black Armani pants and black dress shirt forgoing a tie, but putting on my favorite blood red cufflinks. Pam said that this was my "give me whatever the fuck I want" ensemble. I was comfortable, leaving off the tie and jacket but still radiated power and confidence in the perfectly tailored lines of the shirt and pants. I slid on my boots just as I heard Pam arriving through the back door.

"Good evening Pam," I said as I came down the stairs leading to the open sitting room and kitchen.

"Evening master." She smirked as she took in my outfit for the evening. "I see you plan on fucking with someone tonight."

"Now Pamela. We have not had business dealings with this particular company yet, I simply wish to make my intentions and expectations clear from the beginning."

"Of course Master," Pam grinned. "The driver is outside waiting for us."

I preferred to drive myself but found that having a chauffer provided me a better entrance for the first meeting with a prospective business associate. Pam and I climbed into the back seat of a black Cadillac Escalade with its windows almost completely blacked out. I had been assured by my day man, (Pam informed me that "Errand Boy" was politically incorrect and Abby Somebody- whoever the fuck that is- would not approve. Like I give a shit.) Bobby Burnham, that it was the same vehicle and tint shading used by the human government officials. I suppose humans could think of my position as being a vampire government official, but I preferred to think of myself as a confident successful businessman with significant levels of influence in both vamp and human society. Better yet, people need only know to not to fuck with me because they would most likely not live to regret it.

The SUV pulled up to one of Shreveport's premier high-rise office complexes. I wondered what I would have to pay to purchase this building; it was the only one I did not own within a three block radius.

I dreaded this meeting but Pam had convinced me to listen to the proposal of an "acquisition specialist" for my next business purchase. Since the great reveal, my time had become increasingly valuable and my child insisted it would be well worth the money to pay a third party to research and handle the proposed purchase of a franchise consisting of twenty five adult entertainment venues. The downside to being a vampire was that often there was simply not enough time in the day, or rather night. This concept is quite ironic as everyone knows that vampires are immortal and should, therefore, have all the time in the world. However, human business runs on a completely different schedule and cycle from vamp business. A long negotiation period for a human business might be a year. A long negotiation period for a vamp business might be a century. Humans could be so impatient with their miserably short lives. I still couldn't believe I let Pam talk me into such a thing.

The driver opened my door and I stepped out of the vehicle and headed towards the glass circulating door at the entrance. A circulating door; another fine example a human invention. Who else would design a door that one had to walk half the circumference of a circle to simply get through an entryway? A fucking human, that's who. I once again questioned Pam's logic in suggesting I hire humans to handle this multi-million dollar acquisition.

We reached the elevators and rode to the fifteenth floor.

"I could've sworn that I felt you having a good time through the bond after you disappeared with that hot blonde last night, so what's causing your mood?" Pam frowned at me.

I questioned even answering as it was really none of her concern, and I was still fuming about this damn meeting, but I knew she would simply continue to annoy me for the remainder of the night if I did not concede some information. "I did. She was… surprising and immune to my glamour."

"Are you sure?"

I gave Pam a look that made clear my anger towards her for questioning me. I brought her over to this life and I could easily end her existence permanently, though it would not please me to do so.

We stepped off the elevator to the reception area where _**Stackhouse & Co. Mergers & Acquisitions**_ was etched in the glass above the receptionist's desk. I held no hope for this being a useful, much less successful, meeting.

The bleach blonde secretary led us to a conference room with the standard boardroom table surrounded by executive chairs. I had just settled into my chair after being introduced to Corbett Stackhouse, CEO, and his son Jason, Vice President to I can't remember what department of this mom n' pop operation, when _she_ bounded into the room. Her cheeks were flush, much as they had been the night before, as she rushed into the room carrying an arm full of presentation folders. As she made her apologies for being late her eyes finally made contact with mine. She froze stiff as a bright red tint traveled up her exposed chest and neck until it finally reached her face. I shifted in my seat as my dick hardened at the memory of another activity that caused that same brilliant red. Perhaps there was hope for this meeting after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Wow! Thank you for the review, alert, and favorite love! It motivated me to get this next update out before I go back to work on Thursday. *frowns* Oh well, the bills gotta get paid somehow!

As always, I need to say a huge thank you to the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who worked her amazing beta magic once again. She got this little ditty back to me in record time. She's awesome, that's all I can say! Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility.

I still don't own the characters in this story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she continues to allow me some time with Eric for my lemony thoughts.

*****~*****

Shit! Shit! Shit! Several of the folders I'd been holding slid to the floor as I stood there taking in the blond god from last night sitting in our executive conference room. I felt the heat rising to my face as he sat in the chair just has he had his throne from the prior night; elbows on the arms of the chair, finger tips touching to form and pyramid. Was this some kind of joke?

"What the hell…"

"Sookie," Dad laughed nervously as he interrupted me before I was able to finish my accusatory statement, "this is Eric Northman our _prospective client_."

"Oh, hmm…" I was dumbfounded and I needed a moment the think. _Shit__!_ I dropped to my knees to pick up the folders that had fallen. Easing back up from my knees, I peeked a glance at the blond god. He smirked at me and touched his tongue to his upper lip taunting me with his amazing mouth. Immediately I was annoyed- no I was furious, but I also realized I was getting turned on. Damn the blond god; no, _damn_ _Eric Northman_!

In a split second I realized I was going to have to give the best performance of my life in order to pull this off and the blond god was not going to make it an easy task. _Ok Sookie, get it together_.

I took a deep breath and dusted off my skirt as I righted myself.

Extending my hand in greeting I said, "Hello, I'm Sookie Stackhouse." Putting on my best fake professional smile I decided the best course of action was to act like I did not have an intimate knowledge of our prospective client.

My hand was left outstretched as he did not reciprocate my offering. I slightly frowned at his rudeness. _Hmm,_ _he had no problem touching me last night. _Not missing a beat, he produced the same smirk from the prior night to acknowledge that he caught onto my introductory act.

"A _pleasure_ to meet you Sookie." I retracted my hand but not before it started to tremble at the way he said _pleasure_. His smirk was replaced by a victorious smile as he continued, "this is one of my business associates Pamela Ravenscroft."

"Nice to meet you also, Pamela." Hmm, so he was going to play along as he took my professional introduction and raised it with a formal introduction to Pam. I could play this game of cat and mouse and he and I both knew I enjoyed being the _cat,_ on top.

"First, please allow me to apologize for being a few moments late. I was indisposed." I took the opportunity to pull my lower lip into my mouth as I ran my hands down my sides to straighten my vest. I noticed Eric shift slightly in his seat. _Good, you think about what I might have been doing. _I'm not exactly sure why in that moment I wanted him to feel jealous, but I did. He didn't need to know I had really been on the phone going rounds with Quinn because he suddenly "had to go out of town" and couldn't watch Lars for the rest of the week. I kept wondering if "going out of town" was code for "going to fuck a random woman to save the pack." Granted, I cared a little less today after having great sex with Eric but I'd be lying if I said I still didn't care. Mmm, sex with Eric; Eric, the blond god now sitting at the opposite end of my family's conference room. _Ok, on with the show._

I handed out the presentation folders to Eric, Pam, Dad, and Jason; I didn't need one for myself since I'd memorized the material earlier.

"Since this meeting was set in an attempt to win your business, Mr. Northman, I have prepared a bit of information about the industry of the proposed acquisition. More detailed information about the specific business including a complete financial review will be done once we are under contract with you to handle the acquisition. If you will please turn to Appendix A, I'd like to direct your attention to the pie chart located on that page."

I peeked a glance at Eric to see him casually place his middle finger in his mouth until his first joint reached his lips and then drag the finger back out in an exaggerated motion to wet is finger to aid in turning the page. The redness I had tried so hard to push down once again crept up my neck to my face. I was embarrassed, I was annoyed, but I was also hot and felt a wetness pooling in my panties. As if on cue, Eric looked up and smirked at my reaction to his obvious toying.

_Move on Sookie and just don't look at him._

"I'd like to start by sharing some of our concerns for the current adult entertainment industry. Revenue has been steadily decreasing each year in the brick and mortar adult clubs due almost entirely to the dramatic increase, as you can see in the graphic, of readily available pornographic material on the internet. In addition to the increased ease of access as allowed via the World Wide Web, the lowered overhead of such sites allows the customers to pay only a monthly fee for unlimited access and in essence unlimited amounts of visual stimulation. Of course, almost all industries are facing decreased profits due to the recent economic downturn but consumers who would've gone to a brick and mortar club and spent well over $100 a night are now turning to more cost efficient online options."

I saw Eric's brow rise as he looked over the remaining information in the folder. I hit a few more of the industry hi-lights and concluded the presentation.

"As you can see the industry is highly volatile in the current economy; which is all the more reason for you to allow our firm to complete, at minimum, the research and analysis portion of the acquisition. I think you'll find that our expert staff of accountants, financial analysts, and market analysts will make an excellent investment to ensure that this acquisition is the best investment of your funds."

The usual shiver went up my spine at the thrill of just delivering a great proposal. What was not usual was the additional chill that ran to my core as Eric leaned back in his chair and scooted his hips towards the front of the seat. I desperately wanted to jump into his lap and continue where we left off the prior night. I started to lick my lips but was brought out of my lust filled haze by my father clearing his throat.

"Thank you Sookie. Mr. Northman, Sookie has demonstrated only a small portion of what she and our company can do for you." _Daddy has no idea just how right he really is._ "Mr. Northman, the bedrock of our company lays in the fact that we give exceptional service to our clients. We will bend over backwards to meet your needs."

Eric shifted in his hips and locked eyes with me. _Poor Daddy really has no clue how the words he is speaking apply in a different context to Eric. _I decided I needed to stop this train wreck before Daddy finished his usual spill about our willingness to do practically anything to assist our clients during an acquisition. Most of our clients took the speech at face value and saw that we were a highly client service driven company, but Eric wouldn't. No Eric would continue to shift his hips and lick his lips while he obviously thought about us fucking (well, I couldn't be sure since his thoughts were still silent to me but I certainly was thinking about us fucking).

"Thank you. Mr. Northman, I understand that you typically would not hire a firm such as ours for an acquisition, but I think you'll find that our services are well worth our fee." There, that should be enough to conclude our meeting.

"Ms. Stackhouse, Mr. Stackhouse, thank you for preparing this information for us to review. I will look over the portfolio and _come_ to a decision within the next 24 hours." It was not lost on me that Eric enunciated the word "come" for my benefit and I felt my checks redden, again.

With that, Eric stood and nodded to us before walking out the door with Pam in tow. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"Sook, you got something to tell us?" Shit, now Jason was on my case.

"No. Why would you say that?"

"It just looked like you and the big blond had something going on. He looked like he was eye fucking you the entire time." Shit, this was bad. Jason skipped right over the fact that our prospective client was a vampire (a first for our firm) and went right to accusing me of… of… of what? I wasn't sure but whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Jason," Daddy warned.

"What? No." I decided the defensive card was the best one to play in this situation.

"Right, well, I don't give a shit as long as we get them as clients, so you do what you gotta do. Besides, that Pamela… I'd like to see more of her."

Jason ended his statement with a grunt. Jason was such a dog; show him a little attention and he'd be humping your leg. Again nothing was said about both of them being vampires; maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as I was making it out to be.

I didn't bother to let Jason know that he would have to fight Amelia for that opportunity as I gathered the remainder of my materials to leave. I decided to just ignore Jason.

"Daddy can we debrief this tomorrow? I'm exhausted and I've still got to go pick up Lars because Quinn has to go out of town."

"Sure honey; great job tonight." I knew Daddy wanted to say something about Quinn but he held back and I was thankful that he did.

"Thanks Dad. Night Jase."

I walked towards my office dreading the impending confrontation with Quinn. _Why did my life have to get so fucked up? _Just as I was about to continue my walk down pity party lane I noticed a blond head of hair showing above the back of my executive chair. I quietly shut the door and cleared my throat as I walked closer to my intruder knowing in the pit of my stomach it was him. Just as I reached the corner of my desk he slowly turned the chair around.

"That was some presentation." He cocked an eyebrow sending a jolt straight down to my lady parts.

"I do aim to please," I squeaked out. I truly wanted to sound like more of a vixen but I was struggling to keep my breathing under control.

"Yes, you do. Is that how you draw in all your prospective clients?" What the hell? Did he really just insinuate that I slept with clients to get their business? Calm down, Sookie, maybe he was talking about my presentation skills.

Despite trying to calm myself I was furious. "You're in my chair." I really wanted to come out with something stronger but it was the only thing I could think to say.

"Right." He stood and motioned for me to sit. Standing up a bit straighter I walked around my desk and settled into my chair. I expected him to sit in one of the client chairs on the other side of the desk but he surprised me by instead perching just to the left of my chair.

He looked me straight in the eye, "You know most people know that red roses symbolize love, but they can also convey more than just the simple feeling. Your bouquet of roses, for example, are fully open which means that whomever sent them to you is trying to tell you that he is still in love with you."

He just accused me of sleeping with him to get his business and now he was talking about my flowers? I swiveled in my chair to see the flowers out of the corner of my eye. "And you know this how?"

"I've picked up a few things over the years. Who sent them to you?"

I was suddenly very grateful that I'd thrown away the card yesterday. It had been the first card I'd ever thrown away from Quinn. I'd always been sentimental and kept all those mementos of his love for me. Mementos that didn't mean crap in the end when he was fucking Debbie in our bed, I reminded myself.

"Right, well it's none of your business and what the hell did you mean when you asked me if I slept with all my potential clients?" I finally remember how to speak more than a few words.

"Of course." He leaned down so his lips were directly beside my ear. I could feel his cool breath tickling my lobe while his hair fell to brush my shoulder. "Do you have any idea the amount of restraint it's taking for me to not pull you from that chair and bend you over your desk?"

A small groan escaped my lips as I pictured us desecrating my desk as we had done his the night before.

"I have thought of nothing but having you again since you walked into the conference room tonight. I could easily bend you over and rip that tight little skirt from your luscious hips. What color is the scrap of cloth covering you tonight, _Sookie_?"

The way he said my name made my heart flutter and I drew in a sharp breath to conceal another moan that threatened to emerge. I shifted in my seat as wetness once again began to pool between my thighs.

"Have you ever been fucked on your desk, Sookie?" He leaned even further into my neck and skimmed his cool lips against the sensitive skin just below my ear. I shuddered and felt it all the way between my legs. My breathing became ragged as I had to force air into and out of my lungs. "Another potential client perhaps?"

_Wait. What?_ And there it was the mood killer. I felt my face turn red from the immense anger I suddenly felt and then I just burst.

"What the hell gives you the right to come into _my_ office and accuse me of sleeping with my potential clients? I had no idea that you _were_ our potential client in this acquisition and I didn't even know your fucking name until we were introduced tonight. I didn't go walking into your office last night accusing you of fucking every woman who ever stepped foot into your club, although I'm quite sure that you have. Not that it's any of your business, but no I don't sleep with my clients, so don't get your hopes up. You know what? Just get the fuck out. We don't need your damn business!"

With that I walked to the door and held it open for him to leave. He took his cue and walked out silently. If I didn't know better I'd swear he was grinning as he walked towards the elevators. _Who in the hell did this guy think he was?_ _What a prick! But damn what an ass! _I couldn't help but lean out the doorway to catch one last glimpse of his amazing derrière before he stepped on to the elevator.

I fumed the entire ride down to Bon Temps. What was supposed to be a simple one night stand had turned into a royal mess. Why did I have to screw a potential client? Leave it to me to turn a bad situation into an even worse one. How I managed to pull off a decent proposal presentation was completely beyond me. Eric sat there the entire time making innuendoes that did amazing things to my lady parts; all the while my Father and Brother were looking to me to make a strong presentation and close the deal. I'm certain Daddy could tell something was up, I just prayed that he didn't piece together that my nervousness was due to the fact that only twenty-four hours ago our potential client had been giving me the ride of my life. I just couldn't get the blond god out of my head. _Eric, his name is Eric, Sookie! Damn!_

I was still more than attracted to him even after our little encounter back at the office. In some sick way I think he was turned on by the thought of me screwing my business prospects. It was not a turn on for me and I think I got my point across very clearly. I was sure I completely ruined our chances of getting the contract and I wasn't exactly sure why I felt so disappointed. Part of me was disappointed at not living up to my father's expectation of getting the deal but another part of me was disappointed that I wouldn't be getting the chance to work closely with Eric. I'd make it up somehow to Daddy, there were plenty of potential clients out there, but I wasn't sure how to handle my secondary disappointment.

I pulled up to the house, my old house, and took a deep breath. I hadn't seen Quinn in our home since that fateful night. I'd packed my things in a carefully choreographed routine so as to not see Quinn and now I was back on his turf; maybe it wasn't such a bright idea for me to come back here by myself. _Shit, I should've asked Amelia to come with me_! What the hell was I supposed to do? Between last night and tonight I was in a haze, an Eric/blond god induced haze. One minute I wanted to jump him and the next I wanted to smack him. I'd never been so conflicted.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the sight of Quinn standing on the front porch leaning against the banister in only his jeans. My heart thudded faster as I took in his large frame, he was still an attractive man and the moonlight did amazing things to his bare chest. He knew this was how I'd always liked him best, simple in jeans no shirt and barefoot. Damn, I was in trouble.

I slowly got out of the car and walked towards the front steps, this was no longer my home so I didn't pull around back to our usual entrance. He eyed me suspiciously and I could tell part of him was nervous about my being back, but a larger part of him just wanted me here in whatever context he could get. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs unsure if I was ready to climb the steps just yet.

"You look good, Sook."

"Thanks," I lowered my eyes from his gaze so he couldn't see that he still got to me. "Is Lars ready?"

"He's asleep in his room, but he's all packed. Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay here while I'm gone so we don't have constantly move him back and forth?"

"No, he's got to get used to it." Quinn flinched at my statement.

"Come on inside and I'll go get him."

I climbed the steps but my pumps felt like they had bricks attached to their soles. Quinn held the screen door open for me and I slowly crossed the threshold taking in what used to be our family room. Our wedding picture still hung above the fireplace.

Quinn placed his hand on the small of my back to lead me further into the house. The motion was so natural I couldn't help but relax back into his hand. He stepped closer so I could feel his chest against my back and lowered his head to kiss just below my ear. I closed my eyes and just let my body feel his warmth against me. He turned me in his arms until his lips found mine. I still hadn't opened my eyes but my lips fell into the rhythm they knew so well. Quinn's large hands slid down my sides until he reached my hips where he easily gripped and pulled me closer into him.

His hardening length pressed into my abdomen and my hands, almost involuntarily, moved to stroke his massive back. He moaned into my mouth as his hands crept back up to stroke the sides of my breasts. I threw my head back in an effort to get a breath; I was getting quite worked up. Quinn saw this as his permission to continue and began unbuttoning my shirt so my bra and cleavage were exposed above the vest. His head dipped to kiss and lick the valley between my breasts. I ran my hands up to grip his head and that's when it hit me. I desperately wanted to be grasping long blond locks of hair. _Shit!_

"Wait! Wait! This is wrong!" I push on Quinn's shoulders with all my might.

"What's wrong?" He was out of breath and his erection was straining against his jeans.

"I can't do this," I waved my hand between his heaving chest and my almost bare one. "I have to go." I sprinted up the stairs like my life depended on climbing them two at a time, which I did. I grabbed Lars from his crib, frantically scanned the room for his packed bag, and slung Lars over one shoulder and the bag over my other. I carefully, but quickly, navigated the stairs back down to the first floor.

"Babe, please wait…" Quinn pleaded with my back as I was through the front door before he could finish his statement.

By the grace of God I managed to get Lars into his car seat quicker than I've ever been able to struggle with those damn straps before. As I ran around the car and jumped into the drivers seat Lars started to whimper. His whimpers turned into full on crying as I started the car and peeled out of the driveway, gravel flying as the tires spun desperately trying to gain traction. I began crying too as we hit eighty miles per hour trying to get to the highway and back to Shreveport as quickly as possible. I definitely should not have gone by myself tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

Much love, once again, for my beta the fabulous SibylVane Vamp. Everyone should check out her story Flax Blvd. Never thought SVM and Sesame Street could mix? Check out her story and watch the magic unfold!

Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites! I've struggled with finding time to write but every alert I received gave me the little push I needed to get back to work on this little ditty. Love to you all!

I woke up the same as I had the prior morning. Except today there was a small foot lodged in my lower abdomen. _Oh right._ I maneuvered towards the edge of the bed as I recalled being distraught after what had happened with Quinn and opting for the easy bedtime option of putting Lars in with me.

I knew I would pay for this tonight as I would undoubtedly struggle to get him to sleep in his bed, in his room. But last night, after everything, it was the easiest option and easy won out over being a good parent as defined by Dr Spock and all those other crazy pediatricians and child psychologists. I'd also be lying if I said that part of me wasn't comforted by having someone, even an eighteen month old who didn't understand the concept of "his side," to share my bed with.

That was one of the hardest things for me to get used to. I wasn't necessarily a cuddler (in fact when I was ready to go to sleep I'd get down right bitchy if my bed partner didn't give me my space) but I did miss feeling the bed move with the weight of the person sleeping next to me and being able to hear someone else's breath or occasional snore.

I silently cursed myself while I walked into the kitchen to make my morning coffee. I can't believe I let things get so out of hand with Quinn. I would undoubtedly pay mightily for my actions as I was sure Quinn would mistakenly take my moment of weakness last night to mean that I was ready for us to get back together. In truth, I felt disgusted with myself. I can't believe I let myself fall back into his arms so easily. No wonder he thought he could screw around on me without consequence.

I moved around the condo on auto-pilot fixing breakfast for Lars and getting us both ready for the day.

After dropping Lars off at preschool I arrived at work, surprisingly, on time. I had always enjoyed work but today I dreaded stepping foot into the building. I was sure I'd have to deal with the repercussions of kicking Eric out of my office and telling him we didn't need his business.

In reality, I knew we did need his business. Daddy hadn't said anything but everyone could see that the economy was taking a toll on our business. There simply were not as many companies out there with the ability to grow their business through mergers and acquisitions and those that did have the means typically employed their own in-house M&A team.

As soon as I set my bags down behind my desk the intercom on my phone buzzed.

"Good Morning, darling," Daddy announced through the speaker. I could tell in his voice something was wrong.

"Morning, Daddy." I tried to ignore the guilt induced pit in my stomach.

"Sookie can you please come into my office. I need to have a moment with you and Jason before the day gets too hectic."

"Sure Daddy. I'm on my way." I forcefully hit the button on the phone disconnecting the intercom. I sat down in my chair and took just a few seconds to collect my thoughts.

'_Daddy, the reason we can't do this deal for the vampire is because I fucked him the other night and it was wonderful. Yes, I know I should not have mixed business and pleasure, but Daddy he is THE Blond God…_'

Yeah right. I took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled before finally rising from my executive chair and making my way to the door. With each step I felt more confident that I could own up to my mistake to Daddy and Jason and we, as a company, could move on.

'_A few nights ago I went to the bar owned by Mr. Northman to do some, um, research… yeah, research and I ended up having a brief tryst with him._'

Who was I kidding? This conversation was going to be hell.

Just as I was rounding the corner to Daddy's office I caught the tail end of his conversation.

"Jason, son, it's much too early for alcohol. We'll figure this out; just have a seat until Sookie gets in here."

Taking my cue, "I'm here. What's going on that has Jason wanting a drink at nine in the morning?"

"Sookie, darling, won't you have a seat?"

Shit, this was going to be bad. I made my way over to one of the two chairs that sat opposite of his large mahogany desk.

"Ok, out with it Dad."

"Well, this is very difficult to say but the company is running out of money. Our reserve funds from prior years have been keeping us afloat for the last six months but I'm afraid we are simply out of cash. I had hoped that landing the Northman Enterprises deal would turn things around, but Bobby Burnham, one of Mr. Northman's associates, called earlier to notify me that they have decided to handle the acquisition in-house. Sookie, I'm also sorry to say that we are going to have to put the condo on the market."

Dad continued but I fell into my thoughts, only slightly aware that he was explaining our capital shortage in more detail.

_Shit!_ This was even worse than I thought. And _he_, the blond asshole, backed out on me, well us… I mean the company.

My leg bounced up and down as I sat there nervous and furious at the same instant. Was this my fault? I had kicked Eric out last night and told him that we didn't need his business. No, he was just being a cocky asshole! Well fuck him! I decided right then that I would be going back to Fangtasia tonight to give him a piece of my mind and I didn't care if I did it while he was sitting on his stupid throne for the whole club to witness!

"Dad," Jason was saying when I came back from my thought of exactly what I was going to say to Eric, "there has to be something we can do. I mean he liked Sookie; maybe she could talk to him and convince him to use us. Maybe we could reduce our fee."

"I've already talked to Mr. Burnham about reducing our fee to get his business, but he was adamant that Mr. Northman wanted to handle this takeover himself."

"Well shit! Sook, don't just sit there! Don't you have anything to say about this? I mean we're going to be ruined without this job!"

"Jason, I don't know what to say. I'm just shocked. I mean, I thought things were a little tight but I didn't realize that this job was going to make or break us." Fuck! I knew what I had to do. I had to go talk to Eric like an adult and convince him to allow us to handle the acquisition. "I can go and try to convince Eric to go with us. I'll do it tonight."

"Well, you better figure out something. Sleep with him or something-"

"Jason!" Daddy and I yelled at the same time.

"Sookie, you're welcome to try talking to him if you want, but don't feel like the success of the business rests on your shoulders. It is what it is, with or without this job."

Shit! Now I couldn't get mad at Eric, I had to figure out how to win him over.

Twelve hours later, I stood in the doorway of my closet trying to decide between sexy professional, just plain slutty, or sex kitten. I took a deep breath as I, once again, reflected on what I needed to accomplish tonight. Mom had called shortly after I got out of the meeting with Dad and Jason saying that she would pick up Lars and watch him tonight. I had no doubt Dad called her and explained why they needed to watch Lars, but she didn't say anything and I didn't honestly feel like explaining.

I opted for sex kitten and donned one of my favorite dresses; a bright pink jersey knit wrap dress. It was casual and comfortable yet sexy with a deep v neck front putting my chest on full display. The pink set off my tan and I showed off my well toned calves with a pair of matching espadrille wedge sandals.

I sprayed a light coat of hairspray over my carefree waves and headed for the door.

I arrived at Fangtasia shortly after 10pm but decided to pull around behind the club as to not draw any attention to myself while I ran through exactly what I wanted to say. I closed my eyes and leaned by head back against the headrest as I pictured myself walking up to Eric sitting on this throne and asking, well I was prepared to beg if necessary, for a few minutes of his time.

"Eric, I understand that I told you we didn't need your business and I must apologize for being so rash. I hope that you can understand that I was simply put off by you implying that I sleep with our prospects to get them to agree to be clients. That is certainly not the case. In fact, you are the only prospect I've ever slept with and if I had known that you were a potential client I would not have slept with you."

I was abruptly brought out of my rehearsal by a tapping sound on the passenger window.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed as I looked over to see Eric standing outside the passenger door. His back was slightly hunched over so he could see inside the vehicle.

_Quick, Sookie, think!_

I turned off the car and climbed out from behind the wheel.

"Ms. Stackhouse, what are you doing in the employee parking area behind my bar?"

Fuck, he sounded mad, no annoyed, no mad and annoyed. _I'm so screwed_.

I walked around the hood of my Tahoe and stood directly in front of his staggering six foot plus frame. I noticed that even with my four and a half inch heels he still stood a good six inches taller than me.

"Eric, err, Mr. Northman, please forgive me for intruding on your employee parking area. I actually came here tonight to talk to you about our business proposal."

He cocked his left eye brow and replied, "I instructed Bobby Burnham to inform your company of our decision to handle the acquisition in house. Did this not occur?"

Shit! He was definitely mad, but I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or the Bobby Burnham fellow.

"No, Mr. Burnham did explain that you wished to handle the acquisition yourself. However, I… I wanted to apologize for saying what I said to you yesterday. You see, I was simply put off by you implying that I sleep with our prospects to get them to agree to be clients. That is certainly not the case. In fact, you are the only prospect I've ever slept with and if I had known that you were a potential client I certainly would not have slept with you." There you go Sook, just like you practiced.

"Umph."

_Did he actually just grunt dismissively at me?_ Eric turned and headed back towards a door I assumed led into the back of Fangtasia and something suddenly snapped.

Without thinking I marched up behind him, grabbing his right bicep and attempted to turn him back towards myself.

"You listen here, buddy. I'm tired of you thinking you're all high and mighty. Yes, you are gorgeous and, yes, you were one of the best lays I've ever had, but get the fuck over yourself!"

Before realizing exactly what was happening I found myself being pressed hard against the passenger side door of my Tahoe. Eric's large hands pressed against the side window, his long arms forming a cage around my head which was now throbbing from sudden jolt backwards.

"Do not speak to me in such a tone. I have killed for less!"

His aquamarine eyes looked at me with such intensity that I wondered if he was seeing the depths of my soul. My hard exterior began to crack as he continued to peer at me, into me, and through me. Slowly I took an intake of air and absorbed his musky scent. I could not deny what his presence did to me as I felt my panties begin to dampen.

His lips crashed down on mine with such intensity I feared my head might break through the window I was pressed against. I didn't even try to fight his kisses I knew I wanted them just as badly as he did. My hands ran up to his head and tangled in his hair as both my palms grasped handfuls of that luscious blond silk.

Eric flattened his body against me and I felt his hardness against my stomach. Faster than I was able to move my hand down his torso in an attempt to stroke his splendid length, his own hands slid down and grasped just below my ass lifting me up and wrapping my legs around his waist. He slid our bodies sideways and placed me on the hood of my Tahoe. His face was now perfectly aligned with my heaving chest and he slowly licked his lips as he pulled the tie holding my wrap dress around my body.

He kissed me once more before moving lower to my hardening nipples. The cool breath released from his mouth as he prepared to work on my left breast had me arching my back and straining for more contact. Quickly, he pulled both cups of my bra down and ran his long index fingers along the outside of my dusty pink areoles. I threw my head back and waited anxiously for his cool tongue to slide over one of my quivering nipples as his head was angled down to do so. However, his tongue never reached its intended destination. Instead I felt him stiffen and turn his head to the side while he let out something that sounded like a growl.

Panic ran through me as I realized we were in the alley behind his bar and I was sprawled out on the hood of my Tahoe with my dress laying wide open.

"Pam, someone better be dead." Eric growled out in an un-amused tone.

"Master, we have a problem."

I suddenly was very grateful that Eric had only moved his head as his shoulders continued to provide me some shelter from Pam's entertained eyes. I removed my hands from Eric's hair and quickly tucked both of my breasts back into the cups of the bra.

"Master, a human female has been found in the washroom. She breaths but was nearly drained. Upon inspection we found a police badge in her handbag and we fear that she may have been part of an investigation. I'm concerned there may be another undercover police officer in the club and we don't have much time before he or she realizes the female has gone missing."

"Fuck! I will have Thalia's head for this!" Eric let out another cool breath, which only reminded me once more that I was outside fully exposed to the elements. "Pam, I'll be inside in two minutes. Have Clancy bring the female into my office."

Pam retreated back into the club as Eric pulled away.

"I apologize for the interruption. It is regrettable." Eric said as he licked his red pouty lips and turned to follow Pam inside.

"Eric wait. What are you going to do to the cop?"

"The only thing that can be done." Shit, he was going to kill the poor woman just for doing her job. He turned once more to go inside and I knew what had to be done.

"Wait! I can help you." I felt my face flush as my deepest secret was about to be revealed. "If I can tell you who the other undercover cop is in the club will you promise me you will not hurt either of them?"

"I have no way of guaranteeing that you will pick the correct person."

"I will. Do we have a deal?"

"How exactly do you plan on accomplishing this?" Eric's lips pulled into a tight line as if he was trying to prove a point to me.

I suddenly struggled with my desire to slap that smirk right off his face and then immediately kiss those beautiful lips. I drew a deep breath in and slowly exhaled, using the time to pull myself together and quickly think out my response. Anyone would ask the question since it was logical to assume that I could not guarantee my results. But my ability was far from anything that was logically conceivable.

I wasn't sure how to answer him. Should I be honest and tell him about my abilities? Or craft some sort of elaborate convincing lie? I made the quick decision that honesty was best in this situation because, quite frankly I was a horrible liar and, for some unknown reason, I trusted Eric with my secret.

"I can hear people's thoughts." I braced myself for his response, closing my eyes and sighing. Much to my surprise, there was only silence. I opened my eyes to take in Eric staring down at me with a stern look that had me suddenly questioning my abilities. No, I could do this. I had to do this.

I raised my arms for Eric to lift me down from the hood. "Do we have a deal?"

His left eyebrow rose, matching the smirk on his lips. Eric obviously thought I was joking.

"Sure, but I have to be completely convinced with your findings."

Eric's large hands slid up my sides and lifted me from my perch on the hood. I wrapped the dress around my body and tied the necessary fabric to keep the it in place. I gave Eric a shy smile and motioned for him to lead the way into the club.

We made our way through the back door, past Eric's office (where I did a quick look inside for the sake of the fond memories I had of that particular room), and stepped through the double doors leading to the main floor of the club.

I did a quick scan of the room and zoomed in on a mid thirty's white male. He was wearing a black wifebeater, baggy jeans, and black boots. He had more than a five o'clock shadow and was constantly scanning the room like he was looking for someone, or something.

…_I shouldn't have let her outside of my sight. I bet one of these bloodsuckers got to her. Fuck! At least I've already radioed in; the backup should be here any minute._

I sucked in a ragged breath and pulled Eric back through the double doors we just came through.

"It's the guy in the black wifebeater and baggy jeans. He's a cop and he's already called in for reinforcements. You only have about three minutes before they get here."

"Fuck" I heard Eric whisper as Pam came around the corner.

Eric relayed the information I had just given him to Pam and instructed her to grab the male cop and clear both his and the female cop's minds.

I started to protest. "And Pam, please make sure that neither of the humans are physically harmed." I frowned at him before he continued, "And, make their story something _pleasant_ so the cops have no reason for further investigation."

Just then Eric tilted his head slightly to the right and closed his eyes. "Now Pam! The sirens aren't more than two miles away."

I stared at his face as I realized he had some sort of super-human hearing ability. I, on the other hand, could barely hear him over the loud roar of the music from the club.

"I'm taking Ms. Stackhouse home and won't be back tonight. Call me if you must."

Eric grabbed my upper arm and whirled me towards the back door. "Keys," he demanded as he held out his hand in my direction.

Within seconds we were back outside the club and Eric had positioned himself behind the steering wheel of my Tahoe (after he adjusted the seat as far back as it would allow). If I was being honest with myself, a small part of me liked seeing him in the position.

Eric navigated us around the back side of the building and out of the parking lot just as the first cop cars began to file in. I let out a breath that I hadn't been aware I was holding.

"Can you hear my thoughts?" Eric asked in a flat, contemplative voice.

"No."

The car was silent for several minutes as I realized we were heading towards downtown Shreveport. I would need to tell him where I lived soon, but something inside me told me to remain quiet for the time being.

When Eric finally responded, it was not with any of the statements I had prepared myself for.

"A fucking telepath." Eric shook his head as a calculating smile spread across his lips. "Now _that_ is a service I would happily pay for."

Reviews are appreciated! They motivate me to write faster… just putting that out there. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N:

First, thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. I'm sorry I was slack and did not respond, but I read each review and I loved all of them! Please keep 'em coming!

So… yes this is an update, but it's a short chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it nonetheless. The next chapter will make up for the shortness of this one. I have something special in the works! *Evil grin on my face and I'm tapping my finger tips together*

Many, many thanks again to the awesome SibylVane Vamp for quickly reviewing this baby-sized chapter and getting her back to me ASAP. You're the best C!

Chapter 7

As I navigated Sookie's Tahoe towards downtown Shreveport I realized I was heading towards her condo. The only problem was that she didn't know that I knew where she lived, which just goes to show how much the last thirty minutes had fucked with my head.

_Son of a bitch! I can't believe she's a fucking telepath! _

I stopped myself seconds before removing my hand from its current position and slamming my palm down on the steering wheel in frustration; which would, likely, crush it.

_I'm supposed to know if this kind of talent resides in my area! This is what I pay my people for! Fucking imbeciles_!

I took a long, although unnecessary, breath in. _Get it together Northman, you've got to play this carefully and correct._

Step one, return her to her home.

"I assume you live downtown?"

"Oh, um… yes."

I waited for her to continue with an address, but as the silence continued I realized I was going to have to prompt her again. For fuck's sake, I hated having to dumb myself down.

"And your address would be?" I tried to contain my sarcastic tone, but I felt certain my annoyance was obvious.

"Oh, sorry." A pink tint ran from her cheeks down her neck to the tops of her breasts. "229 Milam Street." And then she was silent again.

I bit my tongue as a sudden urge to make the pink tint continue to brighten ran through my veins. _Head back in the game, Northman. _

I already knew where she lived, of course. I had checked out her living arrangements after she kicked me out of her office the previous night. I didn't take kindly to her rejection; it's not something I encounter often and I, briefly, considered paying her a midnight visit to _encourage_ her to reconsider. But something held me back and now I was grateful I refrained from visiting her last night. I needed her mind professionally but wanted her body personally. I let one telepath slip through my hands several centuries ago and I'll be damned if I make that mistake again.

My last vision of her was one that had haunted me for many years. Her beautiful auburn waves fell over her shoulders as she leaned forward from her hips, both arms stretched out to me as she expected me to save her from the King's guards as they pulled her by her waist backwards toward the king's chamber. In truth, I was just as much a prisoner as she was; only my chains were invisible.

"Um, Eric?"

"Yesss," I drew out as that last vision of Tsura faded.

"Can we finish this tomorrow? I'm just tired and I really want to go to bed." Just as I was about to interject that I'd love to join her, "Alone," she replied.

"Very well, I will be in contact tomorrow to set up arrangements for a meeting."

I pulled up to her building and placed the car in park. As Sookie started to get out of the car realization hit her.

"Wait. How are you going to get home, err, back?"

Compassion? Sookie was showing me compassion? I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

"I will be fine." I turned off the ignition and withdrew the key. "Here," I said as Sookie turned back towards me. Slowly, the fingers of my left hand sought her right wrist and turned her hand over so her palm was facing up. I lowered my head and gently kissed her wrist at its pulse point and allowed my tongue to caress her skin. I lifted my head mere centimeters but willed my lips to linger above her wrist. I breathed in her delicious scent and contemplated the ramifications of plunging my fangs into her for a quick taste.

Ultimately, the logical part of my brain won out and I forced my head to rise and my fingers to loosen their grasp.

"Goodnight, Ms. Stackhouse."

I didn't allow myself a moment to reconsider my decision to leave her as I bolted from the car and ran around the side of the building. As soon as I had cover from the road, I launched myself into the sky and headed to my home.

Within minutes my feet touched down on the soft sod on my front lawn and in three long strides I was inside the entryway of the house. I had several business matters I needed to tend to, including getting an update on the situation at Fangtasia from Pam, so I headed through the kitchen to grab a Trueblood and down the hall to my office.

Sitting down in my burgundy leather office chair, I allowed my knees to swing wide and my shoulders to slump down caving in my chest. I twisted the cap off my O negative and picked up the phone to call Pam. Three rings later, I ended the call. Fucking Pam. The phone dangled between my thumb and forefinger of my right hand. I swung the phone in rhythm with the swaying of the chair from left to right.

Having nothing else to occupy my mind, my thoughts went back to Tsura. Tsura, the beautiful gypsy who's name meant Light of Dawn and she had proven to be just as dangerous to me as her namesake.

I ran across Tsura's clan during the mid 1800s as I was traveling south through the British Isles. That beautiful, unruly hair made her stand out amongst her people and I knew at once that I would have her.

I stalked her clan for weeks, observing, plotting, and waiting for my chance to strike. Finally, Tsura wandered away from the group one moonless night to walk along the water. I took the opportunity and approached her from behind. Just as bowed up and prepared to sink my fangs into her smooth olive skin; she turned around and placed her warm petite hands on either side of my face. My fangs immediately retracted as if protesting any thought I may have had to do this creature harm.

"What are you thinking?" She'd asked and then replied, "You are a void to me."

I felt my brows pull together as I thought through her question and the following statement.

"Ah, but your expression tells all you think not of."

I remember in that instant the puzzle pieces fell into place and I realized she could read minds; well, all except mine. From that moment on, I was her void, her respite, her safe harbor and I protected her until she was dragged from my grasp by the King's guards.

One of Tsura's clan betrayed her when faced with the need to repay a debt to the king, and the rest, as the humans say, is history.

I wandered Scotland and England for years simply existing; not having the passion for life I once had. I fed for necessity, feeling neither excitement during the hunt, nor pleasure as I consumed my prey.

My travels had led me to London during the spring sometime near the end of the century.. It was there that I saw a beautiful young blonde, who looked as though she had only recently come into her womanhood, sitting in the third story window seat of one of London's many row houses. She stared out the window deep in thought and oblivious to my watching her.

I visited her like this for months trying to convince myself that I was not stalking her as I had once done with Tsura. In hindsight, I was, of course, stalking her and as she snuck out of her parent's home late one night I struck. And thus, Pam became my first child.

Speaking of the she devil, my phone began to vibrate between my fingers.

"Speak child."

"Whew, aren't we in quite the mood, _Master?_ What's wrong? Did the little telepath not put out?"

"Pam, I grow tired of your games this evening." I exhaled loudly to further emphasize my annoyance. "The fact that _the little telepath_ assisted us in avoiding a much un-needed run in with Shreveport's most lacking police force has not placated me. Why was there no security covering the bathrooms?"

"Clancy was making a trip to the bar."

"_Clancy_ is a fucking idiot."

"The badges came into the bar, of course found nothing, and left." I could hear Pam's smirk through the phone and I knew she was finding it hard not to laugh at the Clancy comment.

"I will not tolerate Clancy's insolence again."

"Yes, master."

Silence grew on both ends of the line and I knew Pam desperately wanted to ask for more information about Sookie.

"I'm working on it Pam." She needed no further explanation; she knew exactly what I was talking about.

"Yes, master."

"Goodnight Pam."

The line went dead. I took another gulp of my O neg and made the call that I knew would change everything.

The line connected and rang twice before being answered, but no greeting was spoken.

"What have you found regarding Sookie Stackhouse?"


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: First, thank you for the reviews! Even though I was a slacker and only responded to a few, I read them all and I truly appreciate each one! I also appreciate all the story alerts and favorites, so keep 'em coming!

Second, the story wouldn't make a bit of sense if it wasn't for the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who worked her amazing beta magic once again. Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility… yeah, I went to college but this is what I do for fun so I suck at writing without mistakes of all kinds. SibylVane sets me straight and I owe her much love for her patience

Unfortunately, I don't own the characters in the story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she lets me borrow Eric for my lemony thoughts.

**EPOV**

"Right. We've never been much for small talk so I'll cut right to it." Damien responded.

Damien was a son-of-a-bitch. A lying, back-stabbing, bastard who had fucked me over more than once. And _that_ was exactly why he was on my payroll.

That old adage 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' is a good one, but I prefer 'friends will always stab you in the back for a price, so it's best to have the most money in the game.'

And Damien was expensive. He was also the best at what he did; reconnaissance. He could track down any human or supe in any dimension, for a price. Tracking wasn't the only thing he specialized in either. He could get me the background on anyone within forty-eight hours; less for an extra hundred grand. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours after Damien was on the job I would know location, personal history, and family history including bios and contact information on immediate and extended family, a complete medical history, legal history, and financial records including past and existing statements; the standard stuff. What made Damien special was his ability to get blood type for humans, lineage for vamps, pack and preferred running grounds for weres, and, at times, I'd even received information on the target's personal grooming schedule (one of my most memorable kills occurred while the target was in the shower).

I kept him on retainer for a cool mil and it was the best money I'd ever spent. His demon nature allowed him to float between dimensions and his family connections offered him the supe version of diplomatic immunity.

In reality, Damien had nothing to do with his family. Hell, I knew more about the happenings with his father, Mr. Cataliades (who also happened to be my lawyer), than he did. As best I understand Cataliades had high hopes for his eldest son, but Damien proved to be the proverbial 'black sheep' of the family. I suppose being able to shield yourself, and disappear at any time, along with being able to hear human and supe's thoughts would make anyone become an outsider even to those they loved.

To compensate for his lack of family and friends, Damien had an affinity for money and the finer things in life. My retainer kept me at the top of his priority list and also gave me the privilege to determine who he did business with.

Over the years we had gotten to know each other well, I respected his talents and he respected my money. But Damien was also scared of me; which is exactly how I prefer all my business relationships.

"Ok, the subject: one Sookie Adele Stackhouse. Born July 1, 1982 at 4:32 pm to Michelle Davis Stackhouse and Corbet Lee Stackhouse of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Birth weight 7 pounds 8 ounces, length 19 inches. Living relatives include Mr. and Mrs. Stackhouse and, one older brother Jason Ray Stackhouse born February 2, 1978. Attended Bossier Parrish public schools until an incident in 1993 while the then _Miss_ Stackhouse was in fifth grade. Following the incident both Miss and Mr. Stackhouse were removed from Bossier public schools and placed in a private catholic school."

"_Incident_?" I inquired.

"Yes, evidently Miss Stackhouse attacked a fellow student on the playground. According to the schools records, Stackhouse claimed she was being taunted by JB DuRone. Um," I could hear typing as Damien pulled together more data. Evidently Damien had _gone green_ and ditched the spiral bound notebook he usually used for his investigations, "looks like Mr. DuRone was calling Miss Stackhouse a _freak_. DuRone states that Stackhouse told another classmate, Tara Reynolds, that he wanted to be Tara's boyfriend. DuRone claims that he never told anyone that he liked Miss Reynolds. Evidently when Miss Stackhouse was questioned as to how she knew the information she told the principal that Mr. DuRone's mind told her. This was included in Miss Stackhouse's personal file but none of the administration believed her claims. Shall I continue?"

_So even as a child she was able to read minds?_ Very interesting. Tsura had once spoke of her abilities only becoming evident after she became a woman and I briefly wondered if this meant that Sookie was even more powerful than Tsura.

"You may proceed with the dossier," I instructed.

"Ms. Stackhouse performed well during the remainder of her schooling. She did not participate in any, that I could find, extracurricular activities. Mr. Jason Stackhouse more than made up for his sister's lack of a social participation and played every sport the small school offered.

Ms Stackhouse graduated high school with a 3.15 GPA and was accepted to Louisiana State University to study Business Administration. Standard college experience- graduated magna cum laude in four years with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration while majoring in Marketing and minoring in European History. She worked for the senior Mr. Stackhouse during the summer and interned at Leclerq & Young during her final semester at LSU."

"Leclerq & Young? As in Sophie Anne's company?"

"Yes, _Sherriff_," Damien's tone was one of annoyance through the forced use of my title and I could tell he was gritting his teeth when he said 'Sherriff'. Knowing I annoyed him made me smile. "I wasn't aware that I had a speech impediment that would prohibit you from understanding the words that were coming out of my mouth." That took my smile away, but what can I say? Damien is a bastard.

"I'm going to do you a favor and ignore your last sentence. What year was she employed with Leclerq & Young?"

"2004, before The Great Reveal."

"Did she know about us prior to The Reveal?"

"None of my information can lead me to believe that she did, but hold onto your cowboy hat _Sherriff_ this is where it starts to get interesting."

Damien pushed me too far, "that comment is going to cost you five grand off your bill, you son-of-a-"

"She dated Alcide Herveaux in college." -Bitch fell silently out of my mouth as Damien's revelation left my jaw slack and slightly hanging open. "And that's only the beginning."

"You have my attention."

"As you know, Alcide is an active member of the Shreveport pack. The two dated her first year of college; Alcide was in his third year. From my information I have reason to believe that he most likely took her virginity."

A low warning growl grew from deep in my throat and I quickly swallowed to cover up the sound.

"The two supposedly decided to amicably go their separate ways once Alcide graduated. She dated a few other humans during college, but nothing was as long term as her relationship with Alcide… until she moved back to Shreveport." Damien paused and I waited, impatiently. Five seconds drug by… then ten… followed by fifteen…

"Are you going to finish your report?" I attempted to contain my impatience but it still came through in the shortness of my tone.

"Maybe now is a good time to take a break?" Fucker was toying with me. "I feel a bit parched; I think I need some water."

"You're a fucking _fire demon_, Damien, you don't drink _anything_." Damien had peaked my curiosity and he knew it. I exhaled loudly, bordering on a huff. "What do you want Damien?"

"A go with Pam."

"You're not going to fuck my child."

"How bad do you want me to continue?"

"Damien, I will talk to Pam. However, unless you have vagina or a six inch tongue you're not going to get anywhere."

"I qualify."

Damn! That was not a visual I wanted and I shook my head trying to erase the image. Damien's wardrobe consisted of black leather pants and motorcycle boots; he usually went without a shirt. Those damn pants really left nothing to the imagination, so I knew, hell everyone knew, what he was sporting between his legs. God Damn.

"I'll talk to Pam," I mumbled in response.

"Not good enough."

"I _said_ I'll talk to Pam."

"Sookie Adele Stackhouse is currently _married_ to John Quinn."

Dead silence.

My brain just completely shut the fuck down.

Several minutes later, "Northman, you there?"

"John Quinn, as in Quinn the _Bengal Tiger_ who fought in the DeCastro's pits?"

"One in the same."

What the _fuck_?

"And they have a son. Lars Corbett Quinn, fifteen months old."

As scrambled as my brain felt, several loose pieces of the puzzle that were Sookie Stackhouse suddenly fell into place. _That_ was why she always had the faint smell of were on her; she had birthed a were, a half breed, but a were nonetheless.

"Does she know?"

"That Quinn is a tiger? Yes. She is not aware of his past though."

"You're sure of this?"

"You _still_ doubt me?"

"_Interesting_."

"Yes. But what's more interesting is that a month ago Ms Stackhouse, she refused to change her name even after they were married,"

"Smart girl."

"Yes, well, she came home to find Quinn fucking a fellow pack member in their marital bed. This was most likely a required mating for the pack, but evidently the big kitty forgot to clue his wife in to some of the unique requirements of marrying a were and into a were pack. She has resided at 229-"

"I know where she lives."

"-since the night she walked in on Quinn and one Deborah Lynn Pelt."

So I was a revenge fuck?

How interesting. Except, she really had no clue just how much she bit off when she chose me.

"And where do things stand now?"

"My understanding is that Quinn has been trying to reconcile, but she is unwilling. Perhaps your fucking her has made her fonder of vamps." The bastard snickered.

"And the business?" I refused to let him get another rise out of me. "What did you find regarding Stackhouse & Co?"

"Ah, the family business, nepotism is a convenient thing is it not?"

I hummed a quick approving reply.

"Stackhouse & Co has been operating in the red since first quarter of 2009 and their cash reserves will be depleted by the end of the quarter. They have operated as a cash based company since the early 1980's and as such had no reserve lines of credit to fall back on. The Senior Mr. Stackhouse applied for cash infusion loans earlier this year, but was declined by local banks reluctant to lend to a company that was already in the red without any history of managing such a position. They do have several real estate holdings, but with the market the way it is in Shreveport, they've had no success in selling off the assets."

There was a pause as Damien allowed the information to sink in.

"I will be in contact tomorrow." I didn't wait for Damien to respond but simply hit the _end_ key on the phone.

I sat back in my chair and let my head fall back against the leather as I contemplated the information Damien delivered and how it changed the situation. I stayed like this until much later when I could feel the pull of dawn lulling me into my daytime slumber and I finally moved to my resting chamber.

**SPOV**

"So you got the deal done?"

Damn Jason and his total lack of listening skills.

"No," the annoyed expression clear across my face. "We have another meeting set for this evening."

"Oh, but you're goin' get him signed right?"

"If he doesn't sign it certainly won't be from my lack of trying." _But rather my scaring the shit out of him with my head-case bullshit._

I sat in my chair staring across the desk at my brother who presently looked like a kid who had just been told he was going to Disney World. I, on the other hand, was certain that I looked like the kid who got an apple or toothbrush instead of candy while trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Jason had always relied on his good looks and athletic ability to carry him and maybe that was why he saw the world through rose colored glasses, maybe having women fall at your feet will do that to one's eyesight. I wished I could be as confident and positive as Jason, but I had exposed my biggest secret to a client. No, correction, a _prospective_ client who was also a _vampire_ that I _slept with_ not three nights ago. _I am so_ _fucked!_

I politely shooed Jason out of my office so I could drown in my sorrows in private. Three hours later, I was still sitting in my chair replaying last night over and over in my head.

_First, Eric and I were making out, and probably about to have sex, on the hood of my Tahoe. Pam came out and insisted there was a problem. I then jumped to the rescue and professed my ability/curse without even thinking about the ramifications. After I save the day, Eric drives me home in almost total silence. _

_Fuck this; I have to get some fresh air._

I packed up my things and headed home, stopping only to tell Dad I was not feeling well. Which wasn't a lie, I just normally worked through any sickness but this was different and I just didn't have the heart to stay in the office today. Everywhere I looked I was reminded that the fate of the company rested on my shoulders.

When I got into the office this morning Eric had left me a voicemail asking to meet at my condo at eight o'clock tonight. I was actually glad he was coming to the condo. He was coming onto my turf and I felt that gave me a bit of a home field advantage.

I stopped by the store to pick up some TrueBlood. I'd never hosted a vampire before but my courteous southern upbringing gave me the desire to make Eric feel as comfortable in my home as possible. All afternoon I fussed over my outfit, the cleanliness of the condo, and making sure that I ran through every possible scenario with my preferred outcomes in my head.

Option A, being the most likely outcome I can image, would go something like this:

_Sookie, you're hot. I enjoyed fucking you but it's just too strange that you can hear people's thoughts_. _Good luck trying to save your father's company. I won't be needing your services… ya freak._

Option B, less cruel, but the bottom line remains the same:

_Sookie, you're hot _(yeah at this point I'm hoping at least for an ego boost with a comment about my looks). _I'd like to fuck you again, assuming you won't try to fry my brain or anything, but I'm just not interested in using your company. So, yeah, good luck._

And, finally Option C, my favorite but also least likely to happen:

_Of course, I'd love to use your company Sookie. It isn't every day that I find a business partner as capable and beautiful as you. Oh, but please try not to brain fuck my potential business associates._

_God I am so screwed!_

Several hours later I was showered, shaved, and made-up with a natural look that accentuated my blue eyes. I went for comfortable attire and donned a turquoise t-shirt dress that also brought out my eyes. I didn't pull out any shoes since we were at my home and I hated wearing shoes around the house.

As eight o'clock approached I tried to calm myself by reading an article in the Cosmo I'd picked up at the grocery store earlier. I'm not exactly sure why I still pick up the magazine as it's much like a daytime soap-opera, always the same crap. _Try this new sex position, how to find true love, and fashion that would only look good on someone the size of a twig_, same ol', same ol'.

While engrossed in a ridiculous article about what makes John Mayer so good in bed (puh-lease), I completely overlooked the fact that eight o'clock, as well as 8:30, flew by. But once I made the discovery I began to get even more nervous. What if he just decided to not show up? Was he that scared of me? By 8:45 I was pacing and when nine o'clock rolled around I was fit-to-be-tied, as my Gran would always say, and I decided a stiff drink was in order.

One double shot later, I was dressed down in my comfort clothes consisting of a pair of blue cotton sleep shorts and a white cotton cami. I should have known my luck would have Eric arrive almost two hours late and three drinks later when I was happily buzzing and giving the John Mayer sex angle article a little more thought.

The booming knock could very well have been my _doom_ bell as I tried to pull myself together and focus on walking in a straight line to the door. I reached for the door knob, only to come up a little short. I took a deep breath and tried again. Ah! Success!

I was downright giddy with myself as I slung the door open to find my personal wet dream on the other side. All six foot four inches of Eric was clad in leather, tight fitting leather. My jaw dropped to my chest as my eyes rolled down his lean body and took in his slim hips and the bulge contained in those very tight pants. God, I was jealous of those pants!

A coy smile spread across my personal devil's lips.

"Well don't you look comfortable."

Shit! What was I thinking changing out of my dress?

"I, ah, thought our meeting was at eight." I did my best to force my eyes to move from his lower region, but failed miserably.

"It was. Something came up and I needed additional time to prep for our meeting. I can come back at a later time if you'd prefer."

"No!" I practically shouted at him. "Now is fine, but you'll have to excuse my attire, this is the me you get when you're two hours late." Yes, I might be ogling his body but he deserved the clipped tone I dished out. Who did he think he was showing up two hours late?

"Hmm, I'll take you however you _come_."

Ok, the alcohol was going to my head because I swore I just heard him annunciate that last word.

I slowly shook my head and forced my eyes away from his delicious body as I turned and headed towards my black leather sofa. I tried to gracefully sit but my feet tangled around themselves and I ended up plopping down on the modern, but comfortable, cushion.

Eric took one step towards the living area and then stopped. "Have you given any more thought to our business arrangement?"

I dared to look him in the eyes and forced myself to be strong while he dished out the, inevitable, bad news. "Just get it over with." My resolve wavered as his crystal blue eyes locked onto mine and I lowered my head in shame.

In the next instant, Eric was on me. Before realizing what exactly happened, he had managed to lay me down on the couch and lower himself on top of me. His mouth merged with mine and our tongues came together in a passionate duel for dominance. His hand ran along my left side until he reached my hip where his fingers kneaded at my ticklish flesh. I pulled away slightly to giggle before his hand wrapped around my ass, pulling my hips closer to his body.

I groaned into his mouth as our lips and tongues once again met and began their heated dance. Our bodies took on a unique rhythm as Eric pulled my hips into his and then pushed away, only to come back seconds later. I felt my panties dampen as the leathers did little to hide his growing erection.

"Yes," I moaned as his hand trailed down to the crotch of my shorts. My breathing became short as his talented fingers gently rubbed the seam directly in front of my sensitive nub.

Suddenly the world came crashing down as loud banging resonated from the door through the walls of the condo.

"What the fuck?" I said under my breath as Eric straightened his upper body away from mine and out of my grasp.

Again, three loud bangs shook the door and its casing.

"Sookie!" Proceeded by three more thunderous knocks. "God Damn it! I know you're in there!"

_Shit!_ I sat up and pushed Eric towards the chair beside the couch. Making my way to the door, I brushed my shirt down and patted my hair into place. Just before opening the still vibrating piece of wood, I look a deep breath. Plastering on my best fake smile, I swung the door open wide enough only for me to step into the doorway.

_Well fuck me; I didn't see this one coming. _


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Wow! Thank you for the review, alert, and favorite love! Y'all are the best! (I'm a southern gal, so we say y'all down here.)

As always, I need to say a huge thank you to the wonderful SibylVane Vamp who worked her amazing beta magic once again. She's awesome, that's all I can say! Any remaining mistakes are my sole responsibility.

I still don't own the characters in this story… they belong to Charlaine Harris, but she continues to allow me some time with Eric for my lemony thoughts. Yum!

Chapter 9

"What the fuck are you doing in there?" Quinn was quite simply fuming as he leered down at me. The words cleared his tight pressed lips at a raised volume despite his teeth being clenched together.

"That, _mister_, is none of your business!" My right index finger dug into his left peck muscle through the sheer white t-shirt he was wearing. Realizing my voice was considerably higher than communal hallway appropriate I lowered my tone, "and just who the fuck do you think you are showing up, unannounced no less, at _my home_?"

"Your home? Are you fucking kidding me? This is not your home! Your home-"

"Lower your voice Quinn, or this door is getting slammed in your face," I said through equally clenched teeth.

"-Your home is our home, our home that we made together! This condo is not your home." Quinn closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When his lids lifted his pupils had dilated and the whites of his eyes became more visible. "Who is in there with you?"

"That is none of your business." I crossed my arms over my chest to emphasize my point.

Quinn's nostrils flared and his hands began to tremble as if he was having a difficult time controlling himself.

"_**Who is in there with you**_?" This time the question came out as more of a growl; I had never heard Quinn speak to me in that tone. "_**And why are you aroused?**_"

I closed my eyes and tried to figure out exactly why karma chose tonight, of all nights, to pay me back for everything bad I had ever done.

I quickly ran through my options in my head. Option one: slam the door in his face. The only problem with this option? In this mood, Quinn was very likely to send his fist careening into, and likely through, the door. While this option was the growing favorite of my internal devil, I had to remind myself that I _did_ live in a condo and my neighbors would most certainly hear the commotion that would most certainly follow _option one_.

Option two: deep breath, open the door the remainder of the way and face the consequences.

"I have company."

I shifted my hip so that I was leaning against the door frame and allowed the door to swing inward. In one slow, smooth motion the door revealed a very excited, very large, Eric sitting in the chair I had pushed him into minutes before.

My vampire sat there, legs spread wide, exposing his hard bulge. A mischievous smirk spread across his lips as those brilliant blue eyes sparkled in the light coming from the hallway through the now open door. Eric brought is right hand up and stroked his bulge before resuming its fold with his left hand and placing both over his stomach.

I swallowed unnecessarily to give myself a second to think. Eric, as he always seemed to do, took over during the lull.

"Well, _hello kitty_," Eric enunciated the last two-thirds of the short greeting in an almost child-like voice. "What a surprise, although I can't say a pleasant one, to see you here. How's the shoulder?" That mischievous smirk turned into a full-on devilish smile as my brain processed his words.

Quinn growled and then before my eyes could follow he lunged at Eric. Within two bounds he had one of his large hands wrapped around Eric's throat. In what felt like an out of body experience I ran after Quinn certain that by the time I would reach him Eric would be dead. Much to my surprise I only heard laughter coming from Eric.

As I peered around Quinn's massive shoulders I found Eric smiling back at my estranged husband's bulging eyes. It was then that I realized that just as Quinn had Eric by his neck, Eric had Quinn by his left shoulder. Seeing Eric's hand locked in a grip that rivaled that of a vice reminded me that he held the very shoulder I had caressed many nights while we fell asleep. There was an irregularly shaped scar located there and something told me Eric knew what caused that scar. The vampire dug his fingers deeper into my former husband's deltoid and the resulting wince told me Eric's fingers were directly over that old injury.

Quinn's hold on Eric released as he doubled over in pain and brought his right hand up to support his left arm. It occurred to me in that moment that I had never seen Quinn in pain and for a second my heart when out to him. Quinn swung around to me and pulled his body upright, wincing once again.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Quinn's amethyst eyes were pleading almost like he was scared for me.

"How is that any of your business? And how dare you come into my home and attack my guest?"

"_Your guest_? Do you know _what_ he is? _WHO_ he is?"

"Yes, Quinn, I do know who and what he is. I do not, however, take kindly to your intruding on my night and assaulting my guest. Its time for you to go."

I turned towards the door and had a Vanna White moment as motioned towards his exit route.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him." Quinn's square jaw set in defiance as his eyes stared into mine.

"You don't get to be my savior anymore, Quinn."

"Do you know how dangerous he is?"

"How dangerous is he Quinn? Because you don't seem very tame right now yourself."

"Tell her how you know me." Eric broke his silence with a look that showed just how much he was enjoying tonight's episode of _'Estranged Spouses Quarrel'_. I think he almost laughed when I made the comment about Quinn being tame.

"Babe-"

"No, _kitty_, tell her how you know me." Eric's eyes seemed to sparkle even more than normal in a naughty way.

Quinn was silent for what felt like an hour as I stood there looking at him waiting for him to respond. Eric zeroed in on Quinn's hesitation.

"She doesn't know does she?"

"Know what?" I felt helpless but knew I was on the cusp of some important news. News, only Quinn could deliver. His head dropped in helplessness or shame, or, potentially, both.

"I am a killer."

My laughter filled the silent air of the condo. I nearly doubled over before realizing I was the only one laughing. I took a deep breath as I looked from Eric's face to Quinn's. Eric was further amused with my reaction but Quinn- his face sobered my mood immediately.

"You're a cheating bastard, yes, but a killer? No," I defended.

"Sookie, I work for the king, err- well, a powerful vampire in Las Vegas."

I shook my head, "No. You own your own business. You are an events coordinator."

"I do coordinate events, but sometimes those events include a hit on someone."

"You have got to be kidding me?"

"No," Quinn reached out his hand to me but I moved out of his reach.

"Do you kill bad people?" Not that it really made a whole lot of difference at this point, but for some reason I wanted the answer.

"Sometimes."

"Have you killed a woman or a child?" My eyes pleaded that he tell me no, but my heart sank as I looked at his defeated frame.

"Sookie, please, don't make me answer that."

"Have you killed women and children? Answer the _fucking_ question Quinn!" I was bordering on hysterical as reality struck me.

"Yes, but not intentionally."

"Oh _right_! Cause doing something unintentionally makes it all better! God, you disgust me!" I turned my back to him so he couldn't see my shaky hand lift to my face to wipe the tear off my cheek. All was silent as I tried to stop the tears and control my emotions. Finally I was able to speak. "How do you know Eric?"

I could practically feel Eric's smile grow against my back as I prepared myself for what I somehow knew would be the "final nail in the coffin" of my and Quinn's marriage.

"About ten years ago I was on an assignment-"

"You mean to say you were out killing someone."

Quinn slowly nodded his head in affirmation, "when I was captured by another vampire and forced to take his blood. Vampire blood can be very dangerous to my kind, well weres, and I had what we'll call an adverse reaction."

I held my hand up for him to stop and turned to Eric. "Since my _ex-husband_," I emphasized, "doesn't seem to want to elaborate. What does he mean by adverse reaction?"

"The _kitty_ here went into what we call bloodlust, meaning he could no longer control his urges (his ability to shift, his urge to feed, _mate_, etc)."

I picked up that Eric had emphasized mate. Closed my eyes, I pictured Quinn running around crazed on vampire blood; it sounding like a pathetic excuse to me.

"You must understand," Quinn continued, "I was not myself."

"_Sure_ you weren't," I exaggerated. "What happened Quinn?"

"I went on a ten day killing spree."

My jaw dropped and I was beyond disgusted with Quinn and myself. I couldn't believe that I had married, trusted, and had a child with someone like him.

"And how exactly does Eric fit into all this?"

"Eric stopped me."

"_And Eric stopped you?_" My head bobbed back and forth in an exaggerated manner clearly mocking what sounded ridiculous to me.

"Yes."

Quinn took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. I rotated my wrist and swung my hand around in a circular motion, prompting him to finish.

Finally, Quinn once again ran a hand over his bald head and said, "Eric was the only one who could've stopped me. I killed two other vampires who came after me."

"Right. So, let me see if I follow you. You do own your own company, an events coordinating company?"

"Yes."

"But sometimes the 'events' you coordinate are actually hits against people's lives?"

"Yes."

"Human?"

"Yes."

"Were?"

"Yes."

"Vampire?"

"Occasionally, but it's rare."

"Riggghhhtt," I drug out. "And you must do this or this "king" will what? _Kill you_?" I almost laughed; hell, I even used air quotes in my mocking.

Quinn dropped his head, avoiding my stare. The smile fell from my face and in the silence that followed my heart began pounding in my chest. Certainly a story so absurd couldn't be true?

"Yes, but now that I have a child, he would come after Lars too."

At that I lunged at Quinn with every ounce of energy and motherly instinct I had in my body. I pummeled his head, shoulders, and chest placing punches wherever I could land a fist. "You bastard! How could you do this to our child?"

"That is the reason I was with Debbie! _Don't you see?_ If I could produce a full blooded were, Felipe would leave Lars alone." Quinn was ducking from as many blows as he could making his words come out in staggered breaths.

With renewed energy my fists hammered on Quinn's face and with each blow I felt as though I were building a wall to surround him. I wanted to protect myself from this _stranger_ who stood in my living room and I had to protect Lars from the monster that was his father.

Strong arms wrapped around my chest, grabbing me from behind and locking down my arms. I struggled to get free but lost my will as my heart pounded in my chest and tears clouded my vision. Before the vice around my upper body could drag me away I spit on Quinn's chest. I had never done such a vile thing before but something told me it was necessary at that exact moment.

"Get out of my home! Do not contact me or attempt to contact Lars! You are dead to us!" I screamed at Quinn.

Eric let out a hiss next to my right ear and pulled me further away from Quinn. The monster looked at me with shame in his eyes and turned towards the door. Just before stepping out into the hallway he spoke, but never looked back at me.

"If you ever need me, you know where to find me."

And with that, John Quinn walked out of my life.

I collapsed backwards, allowing my head to fall against Eric's chest as my whole body shook from pain, anger, frustration, and denial. As my body convulsed, I resolved to let no more tears be shed for John Quinn. Eric's grip around my arms and chest held steady as my shaking calmed until finally I took one final deep breath, closed my eyes, and turned my head to rest under Eric's chin.

In that moment Eric was not a thousand year old, Viking vampire, he was my rock and I clung to him as a rafter clings to his oar through a violent rapid.

The sound of Eric softly humming brought me back to my living room. My eyes opened as I realized the room was gently swaying back and forth. My forehead was still tucked under Eric's chin and his grip was still firm around me. On another deep breath in and shaky exhale I managed to turn myself around in Eric's arms.

"Please don't leave me," my swollen red-brimmed eyes begged as I looked up at him.

Eric spoke no response, only giving me a slight nod of affirmation.

Lifting myself on the balls of my feet I rose to place a gentle kiss on Eric's adam's apple. The vibration from his moans tingled my tongue as I traced the underside of his jaw line. The slight stubble of his facial hair tickled as my tongue continued its trek down his neck only stopping when I reached the hollow of his collar bone. Gently, I scrapped my teeth across the protruding bone feeling my panties grow wet from Eric's continued moans and his hardening thickness pressing against my abdomen.

Eric's hands released their grip around my back and moved to my face, tilting my head back so he could reach my lips. Our first kiss was soft, surprisingly soft, his lips simply caressing mine. He pulled back, his thumbs gently caressing the swelling beneath my eyes.

It was then I saw a completely different side to the vampire standing in my living room. His eyes were sparkling while his right thumb moved to my lips. Slowly, he traced the outline of my lips, his thumb lingering on my protruding bottom lip where he swiped his finger back and forth.

In one smooth motion, he brought his lips back to mine for a kiss that was far from soft. The passion he exuded in that one kiss told me he cared not that Quinn had left me damaged.

I was damaged. And left, furthermore, questioning a part of my life I had never questioned before, my basic judgment of those I allowed into it.

Eric brought me out of my thoughts as his hands trailed from my face, down the sides of my breasts, until they slid around the outside of my ass firmly grabbing two handfuls and pressing my lower region in even more direct contact with his body. His hands continued south after their exploration of my rear. Leaning slightly down he picked me up by the backs of my thighs, encouraging me to wrap my legs around his waist.

"I assume your bedroom is down the hall?"

I nodded maintaining eye contact as his long legs moved us towards my bed.

If I thought Eric exuded sexiness before, I was in for an awakening as he sat me down on my bed and in one sweeping motion removed his shirt. Standing between my legs he stared down at me.

"Let me take care of you."

I pulled my lower lip between my teeth and gave a small nod, once again, unable to form any coherent words. Eric slid my tank over my head and past my raised arms. His bicep flexed as his left hand moved to tangle itself in my hair, gently pulling my head back so his lips could continue caressing mine.

Reaching around his bare midsection, I rubbed his lower back beneath the waist band of his leathers in time with the rhythm our tongues created. With a his hands on either side of my hips Eric leaned into me forcing me to lay back on the bed while he grabbed the fabric of my shorts and panties and pulled them down my legs with one smooth action.

I started to protest that I was the only one naked, when Eric began kissing his way down my chest and stomach until he reached his ultimate goal, my tingling folds. Before he had time to make his first lick I lifted my head to view his anticipated menstruations. Gently, he spread my lower lips and moved his mouth closer to my center. Just before making contact with his tongue Eric looked up and sought my eyes. Meeting his heated stare and knowing that he was about to bring me the pleasure I so desired made the simple act one of the most erotic moments of my life. I propped myself up on my elbows and settled in for what was sure to be one hell of a demonstration.

Eric smirked at me, knowing exactly how turned on I was at that moment.

"You are quite excited I see." His left eyebrow shot up. "I cannot wait to taste you but perhaps I should make you show some patience."

Eric's lips moved from my lips to my inner thigh. His tongue peeked out as he placed lazy kisses my tan skin. The glint in his eyes showed how much he was enjoying toying with me.

"Please don't make me wait. I'm not a patient woman."

And with that I moved my right hand to tangle in his hair. The silken blond locks slid through my fingers as I stroked his scalp and attempted to redirect his mouth to my center.

Finally, Eric turned back to my lips and ran a tortuously slow lick up my center before closely circling my bundle of nerves. I let my head fall back on my shoulders and my eyes roll back as the sensation ran up my body.

Eric may have started slow and gentle but he soon turned deliciously rough, sucking my nub into his mouth only to gently bite down on the most sensitive part of my body. The tremors of my orgasm started in my core but spread like a wildfire through my arms and legs until I could take no more.

I desperately wanted to taste my pleasure on his lips. Grabbing two handfuls of Eric's locks and pulling him back up my body; I shoved my tongue in his mouth and moaned as my own heady scent wafted through my nostrils.

Pulling back, I stared into his crystal blue eyes, "I need you in me, now."

Eric was happy to oblige as he stripped himself of his leather pants and positioned himself at my opening. Reaching around my right thigh he pulled my leg up and around his waist, slowly thrusting into me. My back arched feeling him stretch me as he pushed further and further until his hips finally met mine with his fifth stroke.

With Eric's size and his knowledge of just the right angles, he was hitting my special spot with each slow, deep thrust. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling of the ridge of his manhood stroking in and out of my slick walls.

This was completely different from our previous encounter. It was passionate, but also sweet and, dare I say, loving? Leaning down Eric caught my lips. Our tongues danced in time with our lower joining until Eric pulled away after gently biting my lower lip. He straightened his body and sat back on his knees, lifting my hips for my thighs to rest on his to continue without breaking our connection.

I wrapped both my legs around his waist, but he surprised me by reaching behind himself to pull my left leg forward. Stretching my leg straight he gave my calf an open mouthed kiss as his hands ran down the length of my leg before clutching my thigh tight to his washboard abs.

I expected him to quicken the pace given the unbelievable angle he had constructed, but he remained at the same sensuously slow pace. I raked my nails up and down his muscular thighs as his long strokes continued to drive me wild. At last, Eric quickened his pace and I hit my release almost instantly.

As my walls continued to contract through the remnants of my orgasm I felt Eric's thighs tighten.

"Come hard in me Eric," I surprised myself by saying. I had never been one for talking during sex but the statement just felt right.

With one last stroke Eric thrust into me to the hilt and I felt him spasm inside me. As he collapsed onto my chest I gently stroked his long, lean back with my fingertips. We stayed like this, still connected, just laying together, as the reality of our situation hit home. I felt confident in that moment that I wasn't the only one who recognized that tonight had been a turning point for us.


End file.
